Balance of Power
by Mr. Clark
Summary: Ranma and the rest of the cast are thrown into a novel-length fic that spans the globe. The explosive prelude to "Until the End" comes an amazing story of sacrifice and strength. (Complete)
1. Ascension

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Ascension  
  
The Japanese Yakuza has long been thought of as the Japanese version of the Italian Mafia. This belief is not accurate, in the fact that the Yakuza is mostly centered towards illegal gambling. Ninety percent of the time when a shop or store will have a back room for some simple gambling, it will be controlled by some faction of the Yakuza. While the Mafia is generally thought of as the supplier of drugs and booze in times of prohibition, the Yakuza is mostly concerned with illegal gambling and petty crimes.  
  
But there are also many things that connect the Yakuza with the Italian Mafia, some of which date back to the things Al Capone would do when he was still alive.  
  
There have been many instances where the children of men or women that owe the Yakuza money or have betrayed them in some way, will have acid thrown at their faces by members of the Yakuza. This does not happen very often, but it is nevertheless an example of the ruthlessness of the Yakuza.  
  
Other such examples are when almost an entire city block was in an uproar because there were over seventy-five shootings there in one night. This was during one of the worst gang wars Japan had ever faced. Fire-arms, of course, are banned in Japan, and the penalty for owning one, let alone actually carrying one, will almost certainly lead to long jail sentences, and large fines. This has not stopped the Yakuza thugs from carrying such weapons, and the shootings continue to happen.  
  
Going to jail is nothing to a Yakuza member. To climb up the ladder of success in the Yakuza, it is most likely that most of the higher-up members will have spent long periods of time. That is an indication to one's devotion to the gang.  
  
The Yakuza is hardly the powerhouse that they would like to think. American occupation of Japan has deterred many criminals from joining the Yakuza, as America has the best resources for crime-solving. But it does carry enough power to be able to change the country.  
  
Some of the latest reports have stated that the Yakuza has increased their attempts to get drugs flowing through Japan and that they have even began dealing with gangs over in China's black market.  
  
It was also believed that the Yakuza was trying to increase the amount of occupation they have in some of the smaller residential areas inside Tokyo, but they have not yet been proven.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma situated himself in underneath a bridge. He took note of the passing ships as he let himself focus on the things floating around in his mind.  
  
It almost happened. I almost lost her forever. She almost died. Damn the Phoenix people, they nearly took her away from me. Damn pop and Mr. Tendo too, those jerks tried to force Akane into marrying me. There's no way she would have gone along with it.  
  
Ranma was pulled from his thoughts when he sensed someone cautiously approaching him.  
  
"Hello, Ukyo," Ranma greeted coldly as he sat up. "What do you want?"  
  
"I think we need to talk," Ukyo said, attempting to hide her nervousness beneath a look of anger.  
  
"Yeah I suppose we do," Ranma said, not facing Ukyo. He almost turned around when Ukyo stepped around him so she was facing him.  
  
"I'm sorry for what I did yesterday, but I was only trying to help," she said calmly.  
  
"Help!?" Ranma yelled, all his anger returning quickly. He leaned in towards Ukyo. "You call blowin' me up, helping!"  
  
Ukyo took a step back but still kept her composure.  
  
"That was your own fault," Ukyo pointed out. "How do you think I felt when I received the invitation from Nabiki, telling me that my fiancée was about to get married and would I like to come."  
  
Ranma turned his back to Ukyo.  
  
"Didn't it occur to you that I didn't need or want your help?"  
  
"But-,"  
  
"No buts Ukyo! You messed up. I'm getting sick and tired of you and the others, always thinking you know what's best for me. Well, I certainly don't want anything more to do with any of you!"  
  
Ukyo turned away from Ranma, the jerk wasn't going to give her one second to explain herself.  
  
Ranma sighed and turned to watch the passing ships.  
  
"I ain't ready to forgive you Ukyo, so you'd better just leave, okay?"  
  
"All right Ranma," Ukyo turned and walked away holding back her tears.  
  
Ranma quickly sank back down to his knees, hoping that he could return his concentration to the problems on his mind.  
  
================  
  
Akane tried not to let her mind wander as she went through her kata. As her kicks and punches flowed her mind disobeyed her commands and let itself move onto the problems that she had tried very hard to ignore the past day.  
  
I can't believe we almost got married. Goddamned Nabiki had to invite every single crazy in the entire neighborhood to our wedding. If they hadn't of shown up we may have.  
  
Blushing as her mind teased her with the thoughts of her honeymoon- that-never-was; Akane put more emotion into her maneuvers. Despite her deep concentration, she had the thought of pressing up against Ranma's hard flat stomach and feeling his powerful arms wrap around her.  
  
Akane finished her exercises and moved into the main house. She found the rest of her family sitting around the dining room. Soun and Genma were playing shoji and neither seemed like they were paying any real attention to the game. Kasumi was wiping down the table; she didn't look very cheerful either. Nabiki was watching television, acting as if there was nothing wrong with the world. Akane toyed with the idea of showing how much she appreciated what her sister had done at her wedding, but decided that it would solve nothing.  
  
Akane threw an angry glare at her sister instead. After all, it was only fare that Nabiki know just how much Akane felt like hurting her dear sister.  
  
She walked past them and climbed the stairs to her room. Akane removed her training gi, Akane threw on a halter and a pair of shorts. She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.  
  
I wish the wedding hadn't of been ruined the way it had. Ranma and I could have figured it all out on our own, Akane thought.  
  
================  
  
It was approaching nightfall and Ryoga had yet to find a place to set up camp. He had been walking most of the day and he was beginning to tire. Spotting a good spot, he crossed the street to the other sided and entered a vacant lot. He set his pack down and turned when he sensed two guys approaching him.  
  
A quick evaluation of the two men led Ryoga to conclude that they were both drunk and had little to no fighting experience.  
  
"Hey man this is our lot," the taller one said.  
  
"And you better get your ass out of here, before I gotta hurt ya," the shorter guy said as he pulled out a knife.  
  
"You can't hurt me," Ryoga told them smugly. They were armed, his instincts told him that he may have to be careful, in case they might be carrying anything more deadly than a simple switchblade.  
  
"Is that so, well how `bout this!" the smaller one shouted as he lunged at Ryoga with his knife.  
  
Ryoga grasped the extended arm and stepped around the attacker, bringing the arm with him. As Ryoga twisted the arm he heard the cracking of the man's shoulder. Ryoga dropped the man's arm and the guy fell to the ground.  
  
Ryoga turned to face the other attacker. He struck at Ryoga with a series of punches. Ryoga dodged the pitiful attacks and grabbed the attacker's head and brought it down to meet his knee. The move broke his nose and rendered him unconscious.  
  
Ryoga looked at the two men lying on the ground and sighed.  
  
"Guess I can't stay here tonight," Ryoga told the unmoving bodies as he picked up his pack and left.  
  
================  
  
Akari Unryuu stepped off the city bus and started down the street. She shivered as the night wind cut through the simple sweater vest she was wearing.  
  
Akari's large sumo pig, Katsunishiki, had caught a cold during her last attempts to track down her directionally challenged boyfriend, Ryoga Hibiki, and she had been forced to leave her farm without her faithful companion.  
  
She didn't notice the young men following her as she turned down the alley, nor did she notice when they sped up.  
  
================  
  
It had been nearly an hour since Ryoga's run-in with the two drunks when he heard a loud feminine scream. It took Ryoga's mind but a moment to recognize the scream.  
  
"Akari?" Ryoga said softly. Hearing another scream, Ryoga took off at a full sprint, running down the streets of Nerima.  
  
================  
  
Akari was thrown roughly against the alley wall. She let out a squeak of pain as her shoulder seemed to almost shift from the impact.  
  
She looked up at the four young men that now surrounded her. Terror crept over her as they began to approach her.  
  
Letting out a scream, Akari clenched her eyes shut as the four men closed the distance between them.  
  
================  
  
Ryoga rounded a corner when he heard a cry of pain. He turned left down an alleyway. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw them. Grabbing his umbrella from atop his backpack, Ryoga hurled it like a javelin with as much force as he could muster.  
  
The umbrella struck the small man that had had his hands on Akari's chest. It hit him in the side and nearly tore the man in half as it hurled him to the ground, breaking four of his ribs.  
  
Ryoga charged at the remaining attackers. He was much faster than any of the men, and closed the distance between them very quickly. He reached out, tossing his pack aside, and grasped the closest man's head. Putting as much strength into it as he could, he slammed the man's head into the brick wall, creating a crater at least seven inches thick. He dropped the limp body of the man and was about to grab the other man holding Akari when he saw an attack coming from his left.  
  
Turning his attention to the new threat, Ryoga quickly dodged the punch the man threw at him. As the man overreached himself, Ryoga kneed him in the stomach. Moving quickly, he hit him twice in the solar plexus, an area that would make a professional boxer fall to his knees, and dropped a powerful elbow onto the neck of his hapless victim.  
  
The last man, seeing what Ryoga did to his three companions, decided that he didn't want to spend his life in a body cast and took off in a sprint down the alley and away from the enraged Ryoga.  
  
Ryoga surveyed his damage to each of the men. He noticed something odd about the man he had hit with his umbrella. The man's pants were undone. That was when Ryoga remembered how they had been holding Akari.  
  
Ryoga picked the man up and lifted him off the ground by his throat.  
  
"Gonna rape her, eh boy?" Ryoga snarled at the boy.  
  
The boy looked into Ryoga's eyes and saw neither hate nor anger, he saw pure killing rage.  
  
"Weren't you!?" Ryoga yelled, spittle flying from his lips.  
  
The boy began to whimper, making warding gestures with his hands.  
  
"Don't kill me," he pleaded.  
  
"I'm not going to kill you. But if I ever find out that you have ever come near her again, I am going to hunt you down and make sure you aren't able to touch another person in your life!" Ryoga tossed the boy to the ground and walked over to Akari.  
  
His anger left him when he saw Akari slumped against the alley wall, her body shook as she cried.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Oh Ryoga, they were going to.," Akari trailed off as she collapsed in Ryoga's arms crying.  
  
Ryoga lifted her off the ground and cradled her in his arms. Ryoga knew she needed some medical aid. He decided it would be best if he took her to Dr. Tofu's clinic. Ryoga carried her in his arms as he began his search for Dr. Tofu's clinic.  
  
================  
  
After 10 minutes of walking, Ryoga had yet to find Dr. Tofu's clinic, what he found instead was the Tendo household. Akari had fallen asleep in his arms shortly after Ryoga had exited the alleyway.  
  
"If I keep looking for Dr. Tofu's it will take days," Ryoga said to himself.  
  
Ryoga entered the gates and walked up to the front door, shifting Akari in his arms he knocked twice on the door.  
  
"Is anyone home?" Ryoga called when no one opened the door.  
  
The door opened and someone stepped out.  
  
"Ryoga, how have you been?" Kasumi asked as she appeared at the doorway.  
  
"Akari needs help Kasumi," Ryoga said as he entered the house.  
  
"Oh my, what happened?" Kasumi asked, concerned.  
  
"She was attacke., never mind, I'll explain later," Ryoga told her as he followed Kasumi to an empty room. Kasumi disappeared and returned, holding a spare futon.  
  
"Thanks Kasumi," Ryoga said as he took the offered futon.  
  
Ryoga laid Akari on the futon. She was still sleeping peacefully. Ryoga sat himself down on a nearby pillow and continued to look at Akari's sleeping body.  
  
Kasumi had obviously called Akane and Ranma, for they appeared at the doorway to the room in less than a minute after she had left.  
  
Without saying anything, Akane and Ranma sat down on the other side of Akari, facing Ryoga.  
  
"What happened?" Ranma asked.  
  
Ryoga sighed and closed his eyes and recounted the events that had occurred less than half an hour ago.  
  
"I was looking for a place to set up camp when I heard a scream. I recognized it and I raced to where the scream came from. Right before I got there I heard a cry. When I turned down the alley I saw four little pricks attacking Akari. Three of them were holding her up against the wall while the fourth one was.. was undoing his pants. I-I snapped, I threw my umbrella the guy who had been undoing his pants. I think it broke some of his ribs when it connected. I beat up two others but the third ran away. That was when Akari collapsed in my arms crying," Ryoga's voice cracked on the last few words.  
  
Ranma tried to keep his face impassive through the whole thing and almost succeeded. His face changed to a look of anger but it quickly changed when he glanced up and say the devastated look on Ryoga's face.  
  
Ranma leaned forward and placed a hand on Ryoga's shoulder.  
  
"You did good Ryoga. You saved her," Ranma said seriously.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga's voice sounded very tired.  
  
Ranma faked a yawn, and shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Well, I'd best be going to bed. Ryoga, we can talk some more tomorrow," Ranma told, as he got up and left.  
  
"If there's anything I can do to help Ryoga, just let me know, 'kay?" Akane asked.  
  
"Thank you Akane," Ryoga nodded.  
  
Akane gave him a quick smile and got up to leave. She exited the room and slid the door closed behind her. She nearly stepped into Ranma as she turned to go down the hallway.  
  
"I can't believe this happened, poor Akari," Akane muttered.  
  
"Yeah I know. It's gonna be hard on Ryoga. I'm surprised he didn't he didn't kill any of them," Ranma said.  
  
"He might have," Akane said her voice serious. "For all the time I've known Ryoga, he has always let himself be led around by his emotions."  
  
"Yeah well, we can talk to Akari tomorrow. I guess we should just go to bed Akane," Ranma said.  
  
"Alright," Akane said.  
  
Ranma followed Akane up the stairs and turned to go to his room.  
  
"Good night Ranma," Akane said softly.  
  
"Good night Akane," Ranma replied.  
  
They both entered their rooms and soon fell asleep.  
  
================  
  
For Ryoga, sleep would not come.  
  
He lay on the floor of the spare room with a pillow under his head. His mind taunted him with the images of Akari being held up against the alley wall as the men that surrounded her put their hands on her body. All he could do was relive every second as he stared at Akari's sleeping body.  
  
Ryoga noticed something odd about Akari. He shuffled closer to her and saw that she was trembling, almost as if she was cold. He moved even closer and he could hear her begin to mumble.  
  
"N.no...do..stop!"  
  
Ryoga's blood chilled upon hearing this, his powerful arms flexed and he felt like ripping something into pieces.  
  
Even in her dreams she can't escape it, Ryoga thought. Never again Akari, I will never allow this to happen again.  
  
Ryoga moved as close as he dared and put his arm around Akari. His touch seemed to calm her as she stopped trembling.  
  
Ryoga fought the urge to blush and lay down beside her, his arm still around her. He listened to Akari's breathing until he soon drifted off to sleep.  
  
================  
  
Ranma awoke from his sleep, sweat dripping down his face.  
  
Nightmares had plagued him all night long, though they had nothing to do with what happened to Akari. In his nightmare he had been fighting Saffron again, and he had shattered the demi-gods body like a Ming vase, like he had done not even three days ago. But instead of Ranma retrieving Akane and getting the Jusenkyo water to wash over her body, he had been unable to find her after the fight. As he tumbled through the hot air from the fight, Ranma had searched frantically for Akane's small doll body, but he had couldn't find it. Saffron's deep adult voice had taunted him while he searched.  
  
He silently left the room, so as to not wake up his father and get a smack on the head with one of his signs. He went downstairs and stopped outside the room Ryoga and Akari were in.  
  
Wonder how Ryoga slept, Ranma wondered as he slid the door open.  
  
Ranma peeked his head into the room. He nearly burst out laughing when he saw the two sleeping.  
  
Akari had rolled over in her sleep and was now pressed tightly up against Ryoga's chest.  
  
Ranma crept into the room as quietly as possible and knelt beside Ryoga. He reached out and gently shook his shoulder.  
  
Ryoga slowly opened his eyes and nearly yelled in surprise because he was face to face with Ranma.  
  
"Mornin`," Ranma greeted with a huge smile.  
  
"Huh?" Ryoga didn't understand what Ranma was grinning about.  
  
"Shh!" Ranma gestured to Akari's sleeping form.  
  
Ryoga looked down at the person that clung to him. His face turned a deep crimson red and he looked away from Akari. Ryoga quickly regained control of himself and gently slid away from Akari before rising.  
  
Ranma motioned for Ryoga to follow him and led him to the Dojo.  
  
Once they were inside Ranma pointed to Ryoga's nose.  
  
"No blood Ryoga. Are we gaining a little more confidence?"  
  
Ryoga shook his head spoke.  
  
"No Ranma, I have vowed to protect Akari from now on. Meaning that I have given up on trying to win Akane's love," Ryoga grasped Ranma's shoulders and looked straight in his eyes. "Take care of her Ranma. You two belong together."  
  
Ranma, never expecting to hear something like this from Ryoga, could only stand with his mouth open and stare dumbly at him.  
  
"I know you two hate being forced into doing anything. But seriously Ranma, build your relationship from here. I don't know how much more proof everyone needs of your love for her. I mean you killed Saffron to save her, and I'm sure that you would fight and beat just about anyone if it meant saving Akane's life. All I'm saying is, just don't try to deny the feelings you feel for her. It will only make things more difficult when you two finally decide to get married."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga stood in silence until Ranma finally spoke.  
  
"How long have long have you been practicing that speech?"  
  
"Since after China actually," Ryoga admitted.  
  
Ranma began laughing and Ryoga joined him.  
  
"How about we have a little match?" Ranma asked once he stopped laughing.  
  
"All right but, lets keep it low key. I don't think Mr. Tendo would appreciate us destroying the Dojo," Ryoga laughed.  
  
They did a few stretches to get the kinks out of them and then immediately jumped into their tuned down match. To the casual observer their match would not seem very safe, in fact it looked like the two were trying to kill each other.  
  
But Ranma and Ryoga had fought so many times they each knew that what they were doing would not hurt the other one if a blow was connected.  
  
"So what are you going to do about what happened to Akari?" Ranma asked as he leapt over Ryoga's kick.  
  
"For starters I'm going to get a description of the guy that ran away from Akari," Ryoga responded as he intercepted Ranma's punch and kicked him in the gut. "I couldn't get a good look at him when I was fighting the other three."  
  
"Give it to the police?" Ranma asked while getting to his feet.  
  
"No," Ryoga shook his head. "I want to personally find him. But I need a favor though."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Will you help me find him," Ryoga asked.  
  
Ranma didn't even stop to think about it.  
  
"Sure," Ranma smiled. "I'll do anything to help you get that bastard."  
  
"Thanks," Ryoga smiled back. "And lets keep this from Akari and Akane, I don't think they would approve of what were doing."  
  
They continued their sparring in silence. When they finished they went into the house and found Kasumi waiting for them.  
  
"Good morning," Kasumi greeted. "You two can go and have a bath now and when you get out I'll have breakfast waiting."  
  
They thanked her and walked upstairs to the bath.  
  
================  
  
Akari awakened suddenly. Her body was covered with a cold sheen of sweat. She could hear footsteps approaching the door. She looked frantically around the room for Ryoga but he wasn't there.  
  
She let out a sigh of relief when Akane slid the door open.  
  
"How are you doing?" Akane asked.  
  
"Ok, I guess."  
  
Akane smiled and sat down.  
  
"Did I wake you up?" Akane asked.  
  
"No, I woke up about ten seconds before you opened the door," Akari said.  
  
Akane's face lost it's smile and she moved to sit in front of Akari. "Do you want to talk about what happened last night?"  
  
Akari nodded her head.  
  
She explained about the events of the past evening to Akane. She fought back tears that were welling up inside her. As she got to the point where Ryoga rescued her she began to shake and her voice cracked.  
  
"It's okay Akari. They weren't able to do anything, Ryoga stopped them, they didn't escape," Akane reassured her friend. "You're going to be okay."  
  
"You think so?" Akari squeaked out before breaking down and crying into Akane's shoulder.  
  
Akane held Akari close as the girl cried and was surprised to find that she was crying as well.  
  
Akari's sobs soon subsided and she looked up at Akane.  
  
"Thank you, it's really helpful to have a friend at a time like this," Akari smiled as she wiped the tears from her face.  
  
"Your welcome, how about we get out of here and get some breakfast?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sounds good," Akari replied as she got to her feet.  
  
================  
  
Breakfast was eaten in relative silence, except for a minor scuffle between Genma and Ranma over food, which ended quickly as Nodoka asked them if fighting over food was very manly.  
  
Akari finished her breakfast and thanked Kasumi and Soun.  
  
"Why it's no trouble at all," Soun smiled. "Especially after what you went through last night, we will be happy to have you stay here with us."  
  
"Thank you," Akari bowed.  
  
Even though Akari knew the house was perfectly safe she found it was hard to leave Ryoga's side for even a few seconds during the morning.  
  
While she watched Akane do some practicing, she felt a familiar rumble in the ground. Suddenly the wall exploded and in the rubble stood Katsunishiki.  
  
Akari rushed over to his side and grabbed what she could of him in a fierce hug, while Soun began to cry over his broken wall.  
  
"Katsunishiki! Oh, I'm so glad you're here," Akari cried as she climbed onto the monstrous pig's back.  
  
================  
  
"Good thing Katsunishiki is here," Ranma observed while watching Akari happily laugh as Katsunishiki raced around the house.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed. "He'll help get her mind off of what happened."  
  
"But, we still need to get that description of that guy from her," Ranma pointed out.  
  
"Might as well get it from her now. It would be better if we had more time to try and find him," Ryoga walked around the house to find Akari.  
  
"I got a better idea," Ranma said to himself as he walked into the house.  
  
================  
  
Ranma walked down the hall and found Happosai's room. Ranma slid the door open and fount the perverted old master ironing his newest additions to his collection.  
  
"Hey freak, I got a proposition for you," Ranma said. Happosai turned his attention from ironing his underwear over to Ranma.  
  
"And what might it be?" Happosai asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"I need you to look for someone on your next panty raid."  
  
"Uh huh, and what's in this proposition for me?" Happosai asked snidely.  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and bit off the reply he disserved. How about I don't kill you for drinking my last chance to be a man.  
  
"I'll give you some more photos of me in lingerie," Ranma said with his eyes still closed.  
  
Happosai leapt from where he was sitting and grasped onto Ranma's chest.  
  
"Oh Ranma! You can be so kind to me sometimes!" Happosai cried into Ranma's chest.  
  
"Auggh! Get off me you freak!" Ranma yelled as he punched the old pervert to the ground.  
  
"So what does this person look like?" Happosai asked as he added some tobacco too his pipe.  
  
"I don't know what he looks like yet," Ranma told him. "But, I'll get you the description before you go out on your next raid, so don't leave until I do, okay?"  
  
"You got it. Just as long as I get those photos," Happosai said with an evil grin.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Ranma said, and added underneath his breath, "Ryoga owes me big for this."  
  
================  
  
"Okay freak, you're looking for a guy about my height when I'm a girl only older. He should be wearing some kind of Japanese wrestling t-shirt. He's got bleached hair. If you find him, you get your photos," Ranma explained.  
  
"I'll search high and low," Happosai saluted and leapt off into the darkness.  
  
Ranma walked back into the house and into the bathroom, he smiled a little when he saw Ryoga bent over the sink.  
  
"I still don't see why I had to take those pictures of you," Ryoga said as he wiped the last of the blood from his nose.  
  
"Oh quit complaining, at least we have a better chance of finding this guy, Happosai can look instead of us hopping from rooftop to rooftop. Besides, I was the one doing the posing," Ranma said with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah well, were just lucky Akane or Akari didn't see us, otherwise I would have died of embarrassment," Ryoga shuddered.  
  
"Don't worry, they went over to Dr. Tofu's a while ago," Ranma reassured him. "C'mon, let's go spar for awhile."  
  
Ryoga gave his face a final wash and followed Ranma to the Dojo.  
  
================  
  
"I wonder why Ryoga wanted a description of that guy that ran off." Akari said as they walked back from Dr. Tofu's clinic. The question had been sitting in the front of her mind almost all day.  
  
"Probably going to give it to the police," Akane suggested.  
  
"I hope that's what he'll do, the only other explanation is he's going to try and find the guy himself and beat the hell out of him on his own."  
  
"Don't worry, Ryoga knows that it would take him weeks to find this guy if he were to go off on his own. Besides," Akane smiled, "he wants to stay with you." She thought to herself, But then again, if he did get the description so he can track the guy down himself, then Ranma will help him.  
  
"Yeah I guess your right," Akari smiled.  
  
"Of course I'm right," Akane said smugly. "He is in love with you Akari; I can see it in his eyes."  
  
Akari looked at Akane and smiled warmly, she patted Akane affectionately on the arm.  
  
"Yeah, I see the same look in your eyes whenever you just happen to be looking at Ranma when you think no ones looking," Akari said.  
  
Akane looked away and quickly found a very interesting piece of road to stare at.  
  
"It's okay Akane, you can tell me anything, I wont even sell the information to Nabiki, promise," Akari said an attempt to lighten the moment.  
  
Akane laughed. "Okay, you made your point."  
  
"So, how are things going between you and Ranma?" Akari asked.  
  
"Pretty good, I mean, we haven't fought or anything in quite awhile.  
  
Akari knew what Akane really meant. Her and Ranma hadn't fought since their failed wedding.  
  
"Do you have anything planned for the rest of the school year?" Akari asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Well, with Ranma being around and now that Ryoga seems to be staying here at least for as long as you are, I'm sure something is going to come up. So I'm pretty sure I'll have something to do," Akane said.  
  
They walked the rest of the way in silence and as soon as they reached the house they quickly entered. It was a little after ten o'clock and it was getting pretty dark out.  
  
================  
  
Ranma heard Happosai's cry of happiness as the perverted old man came bounding across the nearby rooftops. He raced outside to go and meet up with him.  
  
"Did you find him freak?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Find who?" Happosai said, scratching his head.  
  
"The guy I asked you to find!" Ranma snarled.  
  
"Calm down, I remember, I think he was walking down Yukosaka Street with a couple other guys. He turned down some alleyway and went into one of the side doors. He might still be there," Happosai shrugged, and then his expression changed. "Now where are my photos?"  
  
"Here," Ranma handed them to him and rushed into the house to find Ryoga. Happosai didn't notice as he was dancing for joy all the way into his room.  
  
================  
  
"So you're sure he found him?" Ryoga asked as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, following Ranma.  
  
"We won't know unless we find him," Ranma said. "Now pick up the pace, we want to find this guy today don't we?"  
  
Ryoga replied with an angry look that Ranma just ignored.  
  
================  
  
"There's the alleyway," Ranma pointed and jumped down from the rooftop, landing on the other side of the street. They approached cautiously and entered the alley.  
  
"Damn it's empty," Ryoga muttered. They continued down the alley anyway, hoping to find some sign of the man. They began checking doors to see if there open.  
  
Ranma found a door that wasn't closed properly. He pushed it open and glanced inside.  
  
"Hey! Ryoga!" Ranma whispered sharply. He walked into the building and found a narrow hallway that led to a stairway.  
  
They began to climb the stairs quickly, but stopped when they heard voices. Ryoga recognized one of the voices. It was the guy that escaped him that night.  
  
Ranma heard Ryoga's breathing stop and when he looked back, saw the lost boy tense up.  
  
Ryoga charged up the stairs and ran into the room where the voices were coming from.  
  
"Damnit Ryoga!" Ranma shouted as he raced up the stairs and ran into the room. Ryoga was holding up a guy in the air by his neck as he began to strangle the life out of him.  
  
There were two other people in the room and Ranma could see that Ryoga wasn't acknowledging their presence. One of them pulled out a knife and was about to charge Ryoga before Ranma slammed a fist into his side and delivered another blow to the man's head.  
  
Ranma turned to face the other man, and saw the guy had his hands in the air. He quickly noticed that whatever the three men had been doing, it had been spilled out across the table.  
  
Ryoga continued to hold the boy in the air until he passed out from lack of oxygen and he dropped to the ground.  
  
"I think these guys are making drugs or something Ryoga," Ranma told him, his voice a little shaken.  
  
Ryoga turned and saw Ranma holding a knife to someone's throat. Ranma was pointing to a table which contained about twenty bags of a powdery substance.  
  
Ryoga picked up the man that Ranma was holding at bay. "Tell me where you got the drugs."  
  
"I ain't tellin' you asshole," the man said and spat in Ryoga's face.  
  
Ryoga grabbed the guy's leg and twisted it painfully.  
  
"Talk!" Ryoga ordered.  
  
"You don't have the balls to hurt me you piece of shit," the guy said mockingly. Ryoga moved his hand to the kneecap and put his other hand on the heel of his foot. Ryoga pushed in opposite directions and the man's knee snapped. He howled in pain as his leg was now pointing in the opposite direction as it had just previously been.  
  
"Shit Ryoga!" Ranma yelled, seeing that Ryoga was manipulating the man's damaged knee in a way that would cause him pain to no end. The man Ranma was holding began to cry.  
  
"Tell me where you got these drugs," Ryoga said again. The man didn't answer so Ryoga placed his hand on the man's other knee and began to put a little pressure on it.  
  
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you," he said. He let out a breath as Ryoga released his hold on the boy.  
  
"Our supplier is a guy named Seiji Inafune. He runs a restaurant downtown, Ow!" the man yelled as Ryoga began to set the knee back in place.  
  
"I-I don't know the name of it, but I'm pretty sure his last name is in the title. He runs this side of Tokyo's black market."  
  
"What does he look like?" Ranma asked.  
  
"About 60 years old. Thinning hair, he runs his drug operations from his restaurant."  
  
"Well, then what are you doing here?"  
  
"Mixing the drugs, and preparing them for distribution in the market," the guy answered.  
  
"Is that so," Ranma said as he walked towards the first man he had beaten up. He fished through his pocket and extracted a lighter. Ranma approached the table and bent down in front of the bags of drugs. He lit the first bag on fire and watched the fire quickly spread and turned to Ryoga.  
  
"Time to leave," Ranma said as he exited the room.  
  
Ryoga flipped the knife at the guy he had strangled to subconscious.  
  
"See you guys around," Ryoga said as he dashed out of the room and followed Ranma.  
  
================  
  
"I didn't think the drug problem had gotten this bad," Ryoga said, sitting under a tree. Ranma was above him on a branch. "Man, it sure felt good to see the fear in that little bastard's eye."  
  
"It shouldn't be like this Ryoga. People shouldn't be thrown their lives away for crap like that," Ranma said.  
  
"It's been more of a western problem," Ryoga said. "But it seems the market has expanded again," he snorted in disgust.  
  
"We got to stop this," Ranma said, his tone serious.  
  
"Do you propose that we pay Mr. Inafune a visit?" Ryoga asked with an evil grin. Ranma jumped down from the branch so he could face Ryoga.  
  
"And I got a perfect idea for how we'll do it too," Ranma replied with a grin of his own.  
  
================  
  
"You what?!" Akane shrieked. Ranma cleared his throat before answering.  
  
"I asked if you would like to go on a date with me. Ryoga and Akari are coming also," Ranma said, trying to keep himself from blushing.  
  
"Why are we going?" Akane asked.  
  
"It's to help Akari get over what happened," Ranma smiled.  
  
Akane smiled too, but for a different reason. She could tell that Ranma was very anxious to go on the date.  
  
"Where are we going?" Akane asked, breaking the silence.  
  
Ranma smiled at her again.  
  
"A little restaurant I know downtown."  
  
================  
  
"Nice idea about asking the girls on a date," Ryoga said. "But aren't you worried somebody will find out?"  
  
"If somebody does ask about it, I'll just say that were going on the date for Akari to get her mind off of what happened," Ranma explained.  
  
"That should work," Ryoga agreed.  
  
They finished adjusting their tuxes and observed themselves in the mirror.  
  
"You know Ryoga, some guys just aren't meant to wear tuxes," Ranma joked.  
  
"I hear ya," Ryoga laughed.  
  
"Come on you two! Were going to be late!" Akane yelled from the bottom of the stairs. She returned her attention to Akari, and made a small comment about the false myth that girls take longer to prepare for dates than guys.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga exited the room and began their descent down the stairs when they stopped. Their eyes almost popped out of their heads when they looked at their dates.  
  
"What's wrong?" Akari asked. Akari and Akane were wearing identical dresses except for colour, each dress was a little low cut at the chest and the dresses seemed to elevate each girls more feminine features.  
  
Akane giggled at the sight of Ranma so obviously perplexed at her. She put a little bounce into her giggle, just to see what kind of reaction she could get out of him.  
  
"Uh, nothing," Ranma uttered lamely as he attempted to regain control of himself. "Let's get going or we'll be late."  
  
Ranma grabbed Ryoga by the collar and dragged him down the stairs. Ryoga had gone into a daze from staring at Akari.  
  
"Oh son! I knew you couldn't hide your feelings for Akane!" Soun cried. Ranma jumped back in surprise as Soun leapt in front of him.  
  
Genma appeared behind Ranma and clapped him on the back, hard.  
  
"That's my boy! You'll make sure you and Akane have a good time, right?" Genma nudged Ranma in the ribs.  
  
Ryoga could see where this conversation was turning and decided to intervene.  
  
"Don't worry," Ryoga said, putting a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "They will both have an excellent time. But I'm afraid we will lose our reservations if we do not leave now," Ryoga led Ranma away from the ecstatic Soun and beaming Genma.  
  
"Have fun!" Kasumi called.  
  
"We will!" Ryoga yelled back.  
  
================  
  
"Nice save Ryoga," Ranma said.  
  
"Yeah well, were lucky we got out when we did. Who knows what would've happened if Shampoo or Ukyo showed up?" Ryoga said, not really asking a question.  
  
"Pure hell," Ranma replied, his tone showed that he was serious.  
  
They arrived at the restaurant shortly and were taken to their seats upon their entering the restaurant.  
  
"Why are we so close to the door?" Akane asked.  
  
"It was the only seats we could reserve," Ranma lied. They had a good vantage point over the restaurant and could see and hear whoever would enter.  
  
"So, where'd you girls get those dresses?" Ryoga asked, attempting to get their minds off of what he and Ranma had planned.  
  
"Well," Akari began, "after you boys asked us out, Akane suggested we go do some shopping. These dresses looked the best so we got them."  
  
"You look beautiful," Ryoga complimented, he cast a glance Ranma's way and saw that he wasn't even paying attention.  
  
Ranma was looking at the menu when Ryoga kicked him from underneath the table. Ranma glanced up from his menu and saw that Ryoga was staring at him.  
  
Ranma nearly slapped himself for forgetting. The date was supposed to go well and that meant complimenting your date.  
  
"Uh, yeah, Akane," Ranma began slowly. Akane turned to face him. "You look beautiful in that dress," Ryoga kicked him again. "Not that you don't look beautiful all the time," Ranma finished quickly. He spared a glance at Akane and could see that her mind was trying to determine if what he said had been a joke or he meant it.  
  
"Thank you Ranma," Akane smiled. "You look very handsome in your tux."  
  
Akari stifled a giggle at the sight of Ranma and Akane blushing and staring away from each other.  
  
The waitress arrived and she took their orders and left. The conversation soon turned to domestic matters.  
  
"Akari?" Akane asked. "Don't you worry about leaving your farm unattended for so long?"  
  
"Well, ever since I met Ryoga, I have found that he will wander off or just get completely lost and I will go looking for him. Since finding Ryoga proves to be quite a hard task, I will arrange for some hired help to look after the farm until my return," Akari explained.  
  
The food arrived and the conversation pretty much stopped.  
  
"Ah! That was delicious," Ranma said after the empty plates had been removed.  
  
"I wish I could cook something like that," Akane said.  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to make a comment but he was cut off by a vicious kick from Ryoga, under the table.  
  
Ranma scowled at Ryoga and decided that this place might not be a good place to fight so he just took a last pull on his drink.  
  
As he leaned back he picked up a conversation at the entrance.  
  
"-ight this way Mr. Inafune. Your guest is upstairs," the greeter at the door said.  
  
"Lead the way," came the grumbled reply.  
  
Ranma spun around and stared at the man that just walked in. He tried to take to memorize the man's features. Elderly, between 55 and 60. Ranma wasn't very impressed until he noticed the man's eyes. They burned with intelligence. He may not appear very physically strong, but he obviously was quite intelligent.  
  
"What's wrong Ranma?" Akane asked. Ranma turned back around and made a slight gesture with his head as a signal to Ryoga.  
  
"Nothing Akane. Just thought I heard someone call me," Ranma replied.  
  
They called for the bill and Ranma and Ryoga split the cost.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Akari asked as they exited the restaurant.  
  
"It's only nine. We'll go for a stroll through the park," Ranma answered.  
  
================  
  
"How did this happen Raizo?" Seiji asked.  
  
"We were packaging the drugs as you instructed us to, when two guys busted in. I tried to get one of them with my knife but I got knocked unconscious. Then one of them snapped Kozo's knee because he wouldn't give them any information. Then they torched the drugs and left. The only good thing is they didn't get the gun I had in my coat," Raizo told him.  
  
"You had a gun?" Seiji asked.  
  
"Yes Mr. Inafune, but they never got-"  
  
"Why the hell did you take a gun?!" Seiji bellowed, coming out of his chair.  
  
"I thought we might need it," Raizo said quietly, his demeanor had changed quite quickly to that of a frightened little boy.  
  
"Do you still have it?" Seiji asked, fuming.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then get rid of it!" Seiji ordered, his voice carrying throughout the room.  
  
"Where?" Raizo asked.  
  
"I don't care, just make sure it is gone by tomorrow. Also, make sure you wear gloves and wipe the gun down, the last thing I need right now is the police to come knocking on my door."  
  
"Yes sir," Raizo bowed politely and dashed out of the room.  
  
A door opened behind Seiji, a man of moderate size with powerful shoulders walked into the room.  
  
"Should I follow him?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, and take Minoru as well."  
  
================  
  
As the Cat Café closed down for the evening, the head waitress found herself brooding at one of the tables. Her heart had not been dedicated to her work today, as her mind had been running over thoughts of the almost wedding of her fiancée.  
  
"Wonder where Ranma has gone?" Shampoo asked herself.  
  
"I believe that he is still here Shampoo," Cologne answered, appearing beside Shampoo.  
  
"Then why he no visit Shampoo?" she asked, generally confused.  
  
"I think he is quite mad at you," Cologne told her.  
  
"Then Shampoo go visit him," Shampoo said. She got out of her chair but was stopped by Cologne.  
  
"He is mad at you for a reason Shampoo, and I think going to see him will only make the situation worse. It is best if you just leave him alone for awhile."  
  
"Is right," Shampoo said deflated and returned to wiping the table mindlessly  
  
Cologne walked into the kitchen, shaking her head, her granddaughter was going to be crushed when she finally understood that if none of the wedding crashers had shown up, Akane and Ranma would have gone through with the wedding.  
  
================  
  
"Stupid old fool," Raizo cursed as he trudged through the park. "It's not my fault those bastards attacked us." He tripped over a root in the ground and hit the hard, cold earth. The gun he had been carrying slipped loose and rolled into a nearby bush.  
  
================  
  
"Such a beautiful night out," Akari said softly as she gazed at the cloudless sky from the bench she was sitting on with Ryoga.  
  
"What a perfect way to end the day," Akane said from the bench she was sitting on with Ranma. "It was so nice of you guys to take us out."  
  
"It was Ranma's idea," Ryoga said as Akari snuggled up close to him.  
  
Ranma nervously glanced at Akane and saw she was smiling.  
  
"Don't worry Ranma, I know this was for Akari," she whispered.  
  
"Actually Akane, I had another reason to ask you out," Ranma admitted before he realized what he was doing.  
  
"R-really?" Akane asked, blushing as she did so.  
  
"Uh-I mean no, there wasn't another reason" Ranma stammered. In an attempt to keep Akane from asking any questions, he quickly put his arm around her.  
  
"Oh, okay," Akane smiled at him. I knew it.  
  
A figure emerged from the bushes and the evening suddenly took an odd turn.  
  
"It's you!" Raizo yelled. He had just dumped the gun under some heavy brush and was coming out when he had heard voices that sounded distinctly like the men that had attacked him the other night.  
  
"You must be mistaken," Ryoga said quickly as he took Akari's hand and led her away. He stopped when two more people emerged from the bushes in front of him.  
  
"Raizo, do you know these people?" Ishii asked.  
  
"Ishii, Minoru, what are you doing here?" Raizo asked, surprised to see the two men.  
  
"Never mind that, do you know them or not?!" Ishii asked again.  
  
"Yeah, these guys were the ones who destroyed our shipments, and they crushed Kozo's knee," Raizo said.  
  
"You're thinking of someone else," Ranma said. He began to lead Akane away.  
  
"Stop!" Minoru ordered. "You are going to come with us." To emphasize his point, he stepped closer to the group withdrew a small switchblade.  
  
"Shit," Ranma cursed. "Akane, you take Akari and get the hell out of here."  
  
Akane nodded and ran towards Akari. She grabbed her arm and they took off.  
  
"Raizo, follow them," Ishii commanded. Raizo nodded and took off after Akane and Akari.  
  
"Hey stop!" Ryoga yelled, but was silenced when Ishii kicked him in the face.  
  
"You will come with us, one way or another."  
  
Ryoga leapt to his feet and charged Ishii. Ranma did the same to Minoru.  
  
================  
  
Akane and Akari ran as fast as they could, but the dresses they were wearing severely limited the length of their strides. Raizo quickly caught up with them and was able to get in front of them, stopping their escape.  
  
"You must be the girl Shigeru was talking about," Raizo said to Akari. "You're really cute," he said mockingly.  
  
Akane was fumed upon hearing Raizo's taunting comments. To see a jerk like him taunting her friend and making fun of her pushed her passed the breaking point.  
  
Akane took off on one foot and kneed the unsuspecting Raizo in the groin with as much strength she could muster.  
  
Raizo was about to scream but he couldn't find the strength to do it and collapsed onto the ground with a moan.  
  
"You little bastard," Akari said to the fallen Raizo as Akane took her hand and began to lead her away.  
  
================  
  
Ranma and Ryoga weren't fairing as well. The men they were fighting had proved to be at least average skill and refused to go down. Thinking that there might be more people after Akane and Akari, they decided to end the fight quickly.  
  
"These guys are pretty good," Ranma whispered.  
  
"I think its time we showed these guys how to really fight," Ryoga said evenly.  
  
"Yeah you're right," Ranma agreed.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga took a few running strides away from each other and took up their battle stances.  
  
Ishii and Minoru turned to look at their opponents before charging in. They had gone about four strides when they were stopped.  
  
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"  
  
"Moko Takabisha!"  
  
Ishii and Minoru were thrown back as the two ki blasts sent them crashing into the brush.  
  
Ryoga slowly regained himself and walked over to their defeated opponents. Ranma slowly approached as well.  
  
Ranma picked up Ishii and flung him onto his shoulder. Ryoga did the same with Minoru.  
  
"Guess we should take them to the Dojo," Ranma said.  
  
================  
  
On their way out of the park they met up with Akane and Akari, both seemed a little surprised to see them carrying the two men that they had been fighting.  
  
"What happened to them?" Akari asked. Ishii and Minoru looked to be in rather bad shape.  
  
"Bit off more than they could chew," Ranma smiled. Akane smacked him on the head. "What was that for?!"  
  
"Don't be so cocky," Akane said. "Where are you taking them?"  
  
"To the Dojo," Ranma answered. "Might as well try and talk to them. Didn't get much of a chance back there."  
  
"Any idea why they attacked us?" Akane questioned.  
  
"Not really," Ranma replied. It wasn't much of a lie.  
  
"What happened to the guy who was chasing you two?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Akane took care of him," Akari answered.  
  
"Yeah well, that jerk had it coming," Akane said smugly.  
  
"Now who's being cocky?" Ranma asked, shaking his head.  
  
================  
  
When they arrived at the house, they were greeted by two half-in-the- bag fathers that made a drunken uproar when Ranma and Ryoga walked in with two unconscious people on their shoulders.  
  
After explaining what happened to the entire household, Ranma and Ryoga took Ishii and Minoru to the Dojo. Soun and Genma were too drunk from their celebration over their children's realization of the love they felt for each other so they retired for the evening to go and sleep.  
  
Ranma told Akane and Akari to go get some sleep and he wouldn't allow them in the Dojo, despite their protests. Of course that didn't stop them from sneaking around the Dojo and trying to pick up snippets of the conversation.  
  
"-id Inafune send you?" they heard Ranma ask.  
  
"No. We were being ordered to follow-," at that point the wind picked up and they were unable to hear the rest of the reply.  
  
"Does he wish to meet us?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"We must consult him, and then we will contact you," Minoru said.  
  
"I am attending Furinkan High School so you can contact me there during lunch. I do not want my family to find out about this."  
  
Akane and Akari decided that they should leave, less their sneaking around be discovered. They went to Akane's room and took a seat on Akane's bed, they both suddenly felt very tired.  
  
"I knew it," Akari said.  
  
"I can't believe those two!" Akane nearly shouted.  
  
"It's not that unexpected Akane," Akari said reasonably.  
  
"I know, it's just that they would keep it from us. If what those other guys said was true, then it means they attacked some drug dealers or something," Akane said.  
  
"Look, it can't be the way it sounds. I haven't even seen anything in the news about a bunch of people being beaten up, or about any kind of drug bust" Akari said.  
  
"Do you think we should just confront them about this?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yes, it would probably be for the best," Akari agreed.  
  
"All right, I'll talk to Ranma and you'll do Ryoga," Akane said.  
  
================  
  
Ryoga went to the room he and Akari were staying in after he and Ranma had talked for a little longer. Akari was waiting for him inside.  
  
"Ryoga, we need to talk."  
  
================  
  
Ranma was heading to his room when Akane stopped him and took him by the arm into her room.  
  
"What is it Akane?" Ranma asked, rather nervously.  
  
"We need to talk Ranma," Akane stated.  
  
"Look, if this is about what happened in the park-,"  
  
"No Ranma," Akane interrupted. "It's about what you were talking about with those guys in the Dojo."  
  
"You were eavesdropping?" Ranma asked, shocked.  
  
"Yes," Akane nodded.  
  
"Did you hear everything?"  
  
"Most of it," Akane admitted. She sat Ranma down on her bed and moved her chair so she could sit in front of him.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Akane asked.  
  
"I didn't want you to worry," Ranma replied.  
  
"But what your doing Ranma, isn't it dangerous?" Akane asked, moving closer to Ranma.  
  
"No Akane, it shouldn't be, not if were careful."  
  
Akane moved a hand to Ranma's face.  
  
"Ranma," Akane said softly, "If anything should happen to you-,"  
  
Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and held it against his face. "Nothing will happen Akane."  
  
"Then let me come with you," Akane said gently.  
  
"No Akane," Ranma shook his head.  
  
"Why?" Akane asked quietly.  
  
"Because I don't want you to be in danger," Ranma answered.  
  
"I can handle myself," Akane protested.  
  
"Akane, what if something happens to you. After what happened at Jusendo, I mean.You almost died, trying to save me. When I got free of Saffron's threads and I turned and saw you just disappear, it hurt, Akane. It hurt more than anything I've ever felt before. And I had to go through it again when I thought was too late with the Jusenkyo water. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you are never in danger again," Ranma said as he blinked a few times to clear the tears from his eyes.  
  
Ranma turned to get up and leave but was stopped when Akane turned him around and hugged him fiercely. Akane began to cry into Ranma's chest. Ranma slowly brought up his arms and wrapped them around her.  
  
"O-okay Ranma, I w-wont make you worry," Akane cried.  
  
Ranma didn't reply. He just held Akane in his arms and let her cry.  
  
================  
  
"But what if you get hurt?" Akari protested.  
  
"I won't, I'll be careful," Ryoga said.  
  
"But I might lose you," Akari said as she stared at the ground.  
  
"Hey," Ryoga moved Akari's head up to face his. "I'll be fine. Ranma will be with me the whole time."  
  
Akari knew she was losing the argument, it was just too hard to argue with Ryoga.  
  
"Just promise me that you'll be careful," Akari said.  
  
"Of course," Ryoga smiled.  
  
Akari turned away. It wasn't fair, she had finally found a man that she loved and now he could be taken away from her.  
  
Ryoga saw Akari begin to shake with silent sobs and he realized that it was because of him. Ryoga moved closer to Akari and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"It'll be okay Akari, I'll come back to you, I promise," Ryoga whispered in her ear.  
  
Akari moved her head up and pressed her lips against Ryoga's. She felt Ryoga tense and his arms drew Akari in closer. Akari moved back from Ryoga and looked at the shocked expression on his face.  
  
"What's wrong Ryoga?" Akari asked.  
  
"I-I'm sorry Akari. You caught me off guard."  
  
With that said, Ryoga pulled Akari in close and kissed her.  
  
================  
  
Ranma met Ryoga at the front gates of Furinkan High School.  
  
"Did you get here on your own?" Ranma asked, a little surprised to see Ryoga by himself.  
  
"Yeah right," Ryoga smiled. "Akari walked me here."  
  
The bell rang for the change in periods.  
  
"How'd you get out of class?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"I explained to Ms. Hinako that I had a previous engagement," Ranma said. "Luckily I was able to run away before she could find her coin and drain me."  
  
They both had a good laugh at that.  
  
After a few more minutes, a black government type car pulled up. Ishii stepped out and waved for them to come over.  
  
"Mr. Inafune wishes to meet with you two."  
  
"Yeah well, we'd like to meet him too," Ranma said as he and Ryoga climbed into the back.  
  
================  
  
Akane looked out the window of her class and saw Ranma and Ryoga get into a car. She watched it pull away and drive of. Akane tried to keep her thoughts on the class but found she couldn't get her mind off of someone that was occurring less than only a mile away.  
  
================  
  
Ishii led Ranma and Ryoga through the restaurant and into a room that was marked: Off Limits.  
  
They followed Ishii up a flight of stairs and into an office.  
  
A hidden door opened along the wall and Minoru stepped in. He motioned for them to follow him.  
  
The room was quite ordinary except for the large oak wood desk and leather chair that was behind it. Ranma and Ryoga were seated in two chairs that were positioned in front of the desk.  
  
Ishii and Minoru walked around the desk and stood beside the leather chair.  
  
Another door opened and Seiji Inafune entered and sat down in the leather chair. He was an elderly man, but his body showed the signs that he had been quite athletic in his youth. His eyes burned with intelligence and when he shook their hands, it was like shaking hands with a rock.  
  
"Greetings, I am Seiji Inafune," the elderly man said, he looked both Ranma and Ryoga over. "And what are your names?"  
  
"Ranma Saotome."  
  
"Ryoga Hibiki."  
  
"Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, may I ask why you felt the need to attack my organization and destroy a shipment of opium and injure three of my workers?" Seiji asked.  
  
"We did it to try and find someone," Ryoga answered.  
  
"Don't tell me, was it Shigeru?"  
  
"Who's that?" Ranma asked.  
  
"My worker who almost had his windpipe crushed."  
  
"Yeah that was him," Ryoga smiled.  
  
"And why, may I ask, were you looking for him?" Seiji questioned them.  
  
Ryoga considered it for a moment before going he told him about the attack on Akari.  
  
"I see," Seiji nodded. "Well I had nothing to do with that."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at him for a moment but didn't reply.  
  
Seiji looked behind him, right at Ishii and Minoru.  
  
"You may leave now."  
  
As the two men left, Seiji turned back to Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"I suppose now your going to ask why someone like me is involved in the drug trade, right?" Seiji asked but didn't let them answer. "I was forced in. Four years ago I was approached by a man who was a member of the Yakuza. He had learned of my involvement in some of the political matters in Tokyo, and also of some of my involvement with an American Special Forces unit during the Vietnam War."  
  
"He asked me to help him with some of his clients. I asked what that help would be and he explained to me that it would be in helping his clients unload and distribute his contraband throughout the city and into the smaller residential areas. I of course told him to leave me alone and to never return to my restaurant, but after two weeks he returned."  
  
"He did not say anything about our past meeting and instead asked me out for dinner. I accepted, but only because he seemed to be sincere and I thought he would apologize for what he had asked me the last time we met. But when we arrived at the restaurant, it took five minutes before he was asking me again. I was about to storm out when I found that I couldn't move."  
  
"I looked over at the man and his face was blank and his eyes had glazed over. I couldn't move my body and before I knew it, I was suddenly holding my knife up to my own throat. The man told me that he would only ask me one more time before he made me slit my own throat."  
  
Seiji looked down at his desk.  
  
"I agreed on the spot. He released me from whatever he had done to me and smiled. He explained that he would give my name to the Yakuza members he was with and I would shortly receive the information that would help me set up the drug operations I would soon be mounting."  
  
Seiji raised his head and looked at them. "The man's name is Toshi Maruyama, a powerful mind extortionist that is completely and utterly corrupted. He is insane, but he is nevertheless extremely dangerous."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at him in silence.  
  
"Why are you telling us this?" Ranma asked finally.  
  
Seiji smiled at him and got up from his desk. "I am telling you, because I need your help. From what I've heard from Ishii and Minoru, you two have exceptional skill when it comes to martial arts."  
  
"So what do you want us to do?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"That, I will have to show you."  
  
================  
  
Akane arrived home in a very foul mood. It didn't help that she was soon cornered by Nodoka in her room.  
  
"Is there something wrong dear?" Nodoka asked.  
  
"Oh no, I guess I'm just not feeling very well," Akane answered.  
  
"Well, may I ask where my son is and why you did not arrive home with him?" Nodoka asked sweetly.  
  
"Uh, you see..," Akane trailed off as she searched her mind for an answer.  
  
"Ranma and Ryoga are planning a surprise for us. Their doing it at Ryoga's house so they will not be interrupted. Ryoga told me it might take a few days to finish it so Ranma and him were going to be staying at his house for a few days," Akari explained as she stepped into Akane's room.  
  
"Oh, well isn't that nice of them," Nodoka said and left to go relay the news to Soun and Genma.  
  
"Thanks Akari," Akane sighed as she sank down on her bed.  
  
"Don't thank me, Ryoga's the one that came up with the idea," Akari shrugged.  
  
Akane smiled at her before her depression returned and the smile faded.  
  
"So, were they picked up?" Akari asked after closing the door.  
  
"Yep," Akane sighed again.  
  
"God, I hope their careful," Akari said.  
  
"I know I know, I hope their careful too," Akane nodded her head. Please come back to me Ranma.  
  
================  
  
This is becoming a very interesting meeting, Ryoga thought as he sped through downtown Tokyo in Seiji's personal car.  
  
Seiji had explained to them that he had been planning on killing Toshi Maruyama for almost two years, and he only needed a few more details worked out before he could carry the operation out.  
  
"We have arrived," Seiji announced, as they pulled into a reserved parking space in front of a one-story building.  
  
Seiji led them inside and walked through a large corridor before stopping in front of a large metal door. He reached into his pocket and extracted a card. He slid it through an electronic slit near the door and punched a few numbers on a keypad. There was a buzz and then the lock was removed and the door opened.  
  
"Security is somewhat of a worry here," Seiji told them.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga had to go through some metal detectors before being admitted to what Seiji had told them was called the "learning room".  
  
"What is this place?" Ranma asked.  
  
"This, my friends, is where you are going to study everything I have collected on Toshi Maruyama," Seiji smiled. The room itself was quite big for what it contained. Two desks with two or three filing cabinets behind them, and two large couches positioned against the far wall, and another door that contained a bathroom.  
  
Seiji clapped them on the shoulder and left, closing the door behind him.  
  
Ryoga walked up to one of the filing cabinets and opened a drawer. It contained numerous files that varied in thickness.  
  
"Looks like we've got some reading to do," Ryoga observed dryly.  
  
"Oh yeah," Ranma agreed. They each pulled out the biggest file they could find and sat down at their desk.  
  
================  
  
Three hours passed without a single word between them. As the time passed, each of them would toss the empty folder into a pile and reach behind them to grab a new folder. Finally, Ranma broke the silence when he spoke.  
  
"Jeez, this guys been everywhere," Ranma said, Ryoga looked up from his folder at him. "He was in Russia a little after the Soviet Union collapsed. It was believed that he was supplying the Russian mafia with drugs and various weapons. After helping with an assassination of a visiting diplomat he ran to Israel. In a month he was convicted of selling weapons to Palestine rebels and suicide bombers. Before they could tri him he posted bail and skipped out of the country. Next he traveled to Britain and kidnapped two American soldiers. He held them for ransom, and when he received payment he killed them and disappeared again. He emerged next in Saudi Arabia, where he was the number one suspect for an embassy bombing that occurred. There were several more bombings and then it was reported that he had disappeared somewhere in Asia and has not been seen since."  
  
"He's some kind of terrorist right?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Yeah, it would appear so," Ranma nodded in agreement. He glanced up at the clock. It was one o'clock and he had to go to school tomorrow.  
  
"I'm going to try and get some sleep now," Ranma said as he got up and flopped down on a couch.  
  
"Yeah sure, just try not to snore too loud," Ryoga joked. Ranma was too tired to respond so he made a muffled remark before he fell asleep.  
  
Ryoga listened to Ranma sleep for awhile before he got up and left the room. He approached a guard that was standing close to the office.  
  
"Do you know where Mr. Inafune's office is?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Just go down this hall and turn left," the guard answered.  
  
"Thank you," Ryoga bowed politely and walked down the hall.  
  
"I said turn left!" the guard called.  
  
"Oh right, sorry!" Ryoga yelled back. He silently cursed himself for making a fool out of himself in front of the guard.  
  
He found the door to Seiji's office and walked in.  
  
"Is there something I can do for you Ryoga?"  
  
"Yeah, I just needed to ask you a question. Is there someway to counter Maruyama's mind technique. I mean, it's going to be hard to fight a guy when you can't even move your arms or anything."  
  
"Hmm, interesting question, you see, in my case I have developed a mind block, in which he no longer can control what I do. But, unfortunately I have only recently developed this, and I am not too sure how it would work with you guys."  
  
"I was thinking that maybe if someone had complete control over their own mind, they could ignore whatever Toshi tried to do. But I have yet to find anyone that is capable of such a thing. Awhile back, after I was researching the mind technique Toshi had developed, I discovered the small countermeasure that had been developed. It explained that in times of great emotional stress, a person can completely disregard the mind technique."  
  
"Well, then I guess I had better be very pissed off when I meet this guy," Ryoga smiled.  
  
================  
  
Akane awoke feeling the same way she had when she went to sleep, depressed. She had been hoping to find dreams of her and Ranma, but instead she had dreams involving Ranma being horribly mutilated by an unknown person. Needless to say, she wasn't feeling very good at all.  
  
She got out of bed and went downstairs for breakfast. Her family, and Ranma's, were seated at the table.  
  
"Where's Akari?" Akane asked her family.  
  
"She went for a walk with Katsunishiki," Kasumi answered.  
  
"Akane, is there something wrong?" Soun asked from behind his newspaper.  
  
"No dad, nothings wrong," Akane said, thankful her father couldn't see her face when she said it.  
  
"Well then, come eat your breakfast. Kasumi and Nodoka have cooked us another fine meal."  
  
Akane nodded and hurried through breakfast. She dashed out of the house and nearly crashed into Ranma when she reached the gate.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Akane asked, shocked.  
  
"Seiji's going to let me continue going to school while I'm doing something for him," Ranma told her.  
  
"What about Ryoga?" Akane asked, absentmindedly running her hand over Ranma's chest.  
  
"That's why I came here first," Ranma answered. "He wanted me to tell Akari that he's okay and he is going to remember her promise, whatever that means."  
  
"Akari went on a walk somewhere with Katsunishiki though," Akane said.  
  
"Damn," Ranma said dryly. "I guess I'll have to try and find her at lunch."  
  
"Ranma?" Akane asked. "What happened when you two were picked up yesterday?"  
  
Ranma explained everything that had happened and what he had learned in the past twelve hours, while walking to school.  
  
"So what are you going to be doing?" Akane asked Ranma once he'd finished telling her all the details.  
  
"I'm not quite sure but, before I left this morning Ryoga said he was going to try and get some information from Seiji," Ranma said.  
  
"It's going to be dangerous, isn't it?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yeah, it might be, but I'm still going to do it," Ranma stated firmly.  
  
"But why?" Akane asked quietly.  
  
"Akane," Ranma began. "This man has killed hundreds of people if the documents are correct. He's also helped other people kill more people by supplying them with weapons and other things to help ruin people's lives."  
  
Ranma looked over at Akane and saw her crying. He pulled Akane to his chest and gently whispered into her ear.  
  
"It's okay; it's alright, nothings going to happen. I won't let anything happen to anyone, okay?"  
  
"I know," Akane spoke softly. "But I-I don't want to lose you."  
  
"Don't worry Akane, if Seiji's plan is too crazy, or I don't think that even I could pull it off, then I won't do it," Ranma said, hoping it would make her stop crying.  
  
Akane wiped the tears from her face and looked up at Ranma. His masculine face was clouded with concern and it made her want to reach up and kiss him.  
  
"All better now?" Ranma asked, flashing her a smile.  
  
"Uh huh," Akane nodded and flashed him a smile of her own. She removed herself from Ranma's chest with great reluctance.  
  
"We'd better hurry or we'll be late for class," Ranma observed.  
  
================  
  
They didn't even notice her as they ran by.  
  
Ukyo watched as the two ran off to school, their hands clasped together. She leaned against the nearby wall for support, as she was feeling that she would soon fall down. A small part of her mind was taunting her that this was all her doing, with all that had happened in the past few days.  
  
Ranma had hugged Akane. He. Hugged. Akane.  
  
"N-no," Ukyo buried her head in her hands and took off running down the street. She kept going even as she entered her restaurant/home and ran up the stairs to her room.  
  
Konatsu had been sweeping the floors when Ukyo burst in.  
  
"U-Ukyo?"  
  
================  
  
Konatsu approached Ukyo's room. She had not closed her door after dashing in. He tried to pick up anything Ukyo might be saying, but all he could hear were sobs. He walked into the room and tried to think of something to say.  
  
Ukyo was face-down on her bed and she was crying into her pillow. Konatsu cleared his throat to try and acknowledge his presence. When Ukyo didn't respond, Konatsu moved closer and sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"What's wrong?" Konatsu asked, tired of the silence.  
  
Ukyo, unable to ignore Konatsu's presence, sat up and gazed at him.  
  
"Why aren't you at school?" Konatsu asked, returning Ukyo's gaze.  
  
"R-Ranma and A-Akane." Ukyo stammered out before she began crying again.  
  
Konatsu shook his head sadly. He had come to the conclusion shortly after Ranma and the others returned from their adventure in China, that Ranma and Akane were meant for each other. He had entertained the idea of talking to Ukyo about what he had been thinking of, but quickly stopped himself when he realized Ukyo would most likely become enraged with him. He would never do anything that would hurt his position with Ukyo.  
  
Ukyo stopped crying and tried to stand up but she couldn't find the strength and would have collapsed to the ground if it were not for Konatsu catching her and laying her back down on her bed.  
  
"You just rest now Ukyo," Konatsu said gently. "I will look after the store."  
  
Konatsu left and Ukyo soon fell into a restless sleep.  
  
================  
  
As the school day drifted by, the students of Farina High welcomed the bell that signaled the end of the morning classes and the start of lunch.  
  
Ranma and Akane sat together as they usually did, at one of the many picnic tables that were scattered around the school grounds.  
  
"So how's Ryoga doing?" Akane asked as she handed half her lunch over to Ranma.  
  
"Thanks," Ranma said, accepting the lunch. "Yeah Ryoga's doing fine." Ranma paused. "You know it's kind of weird," Ranma said. "We've been in close contact with each other for a whole week, and we haven't even fought or anything."  
  
"Yeah well, you two do get rather chummy when your not trying to kill each other," Akane laughed.  
  
"And how's Akari?" Ranma asked gently.  
  
"She's getting by," Akane answered, then took on a more serious tone. "But I think she's being affected by this the most. If something should happen to Ryoga, she's going to be alone again. I saw her last night, just sitting out near the koi pond. She had a strange expression on her face, it was like, emptiness," Akane shook her head; she poked Ranma in the chest with her finger. "And I want you to promise me that you're going to make sure nothing happens to Ryoga."  
  
"Aw c'mon Akane, he can take care of himself," Ranma groaned.  
  
"Ranma," Akane said sharply. "It doesn't matter if you think he can take care of himself, I want you to make sure he doesn't get lost or he doesn't go overboard like Ryoga has a tendency to do. Now I want you to promise me that you're going to keep him out of trouble."  
  
Ranma sighed and looked straight at Akane.  
  
"I promise."  
  
================  
  
Over at the Cat Café, it was business as usual. Cologne finished dishing up the last of the orders and sat down at an empty table.  
  
Ranma had not been by in awhile. Though Cologne had been anticipating this, it was unsettling. After what had happened at the failed wedding, Cologne had been expecting Ranma to up and blow off any recognition of the laws that had engaged him to Shampoo. She was at a loss, she had absolutely no doubt in her mind that Ranma did not love Shampoo, and that he loved the Tendo girl.  
  
Cologne was startled when Mousse set on order of fried rice and wonton in front of her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Cologne asked. Mousse raised his glasses to his eyes and stared intently at Cologne.  
  
"I must say sir, you've certainly shriveled up since I was last here," Mousse said.  
  
Cologne thumped Mousse over the head with her staff.  
  
"Take this order to the table over there!" Cologne pointed.  
  
Mousse walked over to several more tables before he finally arrived at the proper table. On his way back to the kitchen, Cologne stopped him.  
  
"You're not going to hit me again are you?" Mousse asked cautiously.  
  
"No child, I merely ask you for your assistance," Cologne responded. Mousse perked up at her response and Cologne instantly regretted calling him child.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I ask that you go over to the Tendo household and ask Ranma if he could meet with me," Cologne told him.  
  
"All right," Mousse nodded to a nearby plant and dashed out the door.  
  
================  
  
Ranma, in female form, stood outside of Furinkan High school.  
  
"Damn lousy weather," Ranma muttered as the car pulled up.  
  
Ishii unlocked the back door and Ranma climbed in. They sped away from Furinkan.  
  
"How did you know it was me?" Ranma finally asked.  
  
"There was an incident today at the facility," Ishii said calmly.  
  
"Uh oh, what happened?" Ranma asked, smiling.  
  
"I'll let Hibiki explain it."  
  
================  
  
Ranma walked into the room he and Ryoga were sharing, and saw Ryoga sitting at the desk, with a dark brooding look on his face.  
  
"What happened Ryoga?" Ranma asked.  
  
Ryoga shook his head angrily and looked at Ranma. It was quite obvious that he was more embarrassed than angry over what happened.  
  
"You'd think that in a facility this built up they could have separate faucets for hot and cold!" Ryoga snarled.  
  
Ranma tried to hold back but she burst out laughing.  
  
"It's not funny Ranma," Ryoga glared at Ranma.  
  
"I'm sorry Ryoga," Ranma laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. "So who found you?"  
  
"Seiji walked into the bathroom and found my clothes, I was trying to move the faucet with my head but I accidentally broke it. Seiji saw me and I think he made the connection. He took me to his office and I tried to explain the situation as well as a pig can, but he didn't understand. After a few more attempts I just gave up and grabbed his tea in my teeth and dumped it over my head," Ryoga said.  
  
"Lucky there was tea there," Ranma noted.  
  
"That's what I thought too. But it seems Seiji had a meeting planned with one of his secretaries and she chose that moment to come in. Needless to say, she did not expect to see a naked boy sitting on Seiji's desk. To make things worse she screamed and Ishii and a bunch of guards came running in."  
  
"Is that so," Ranma said as she turned around, suppressing the laughter that threatened to escape. "So what happened next?"  
  
"Well, after I got my clothes back on and everyone calmed down, I explained all about Jusenkyo and all the crazy crap that's happened in the past year and a half. He found the stuff about what happened in Jusendo particularly interesting. Seems all that has just reaffirmed his belief that we are two of the strongest martial artists in the world."  
  
Ranma smiled and poured hot water over her head from a nearby tea kettle.  
  
"So what's Seiji's plan for the mission were supposed to be going on?" Ranma asked as he dried his hair.  
  
"You'll love it."  
  
================  
  
Ryoga led Ranma down a corridor. With each step they took the sound echoed for what seemed an eternity. Ryoga stopped at one of the doors and opened it.  
  
"It's in here," Ryoga motioned for Ranma to enter. Ranma walked through and fell down a steep incline. He would have fallen completely down the slope if it were not for Ryoga grabbing his hand.  
  
"Sorry about that Ranma," Ryoga lifted Ranma back up the slope with one arm.  
  
"What is this place?" Ranma asked as he readjusted his clothes.  
  
"Seiji says this is an exact replica of some rice fields located 5 miles northeast of Tokyo." Ryoga answered as he led Ranma down a winding path. "It seems that this Maruyama fellow has been using these fields as places to store the drugs coming into the country until it's ready for distribution. According to Seiji, were going to be inserted at the fields a few days earlier than it's reported that a team will come to collect the drugs. Were supposed to call Seiji on a encrypted cell phone when we see that team come; then Seiji will send another team to intercept the drug pushers and capture them. Then we get to torch the drugs. Seiji says this could cripple the drug market for months."  
  
"Where do we sign up?" Ranma smiled.  
  
"We leave in two days," Ryoga said. "Were going to be practicing tonight and then we'll have a practice run tomorrow."  
  
"Doesn't sound too hard."  
  
"That's what I said."  
  
================  
  
Cologne finished putting the remaining dishes away when she heard the front door slide open. Mousse walked in and Cologne confronted him.  
  
"Well?" Cologne asked. "Will Ranma meet with me?"  
  
"He's not there," Mousse answered.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"Akane said Ranma and Ryoga are working on some surprise for her and Akari."  
  
"Who?" Cologne asked, not knowing who Akari was.  
  
"Akari, she's some pig farmer that Ryoga got engaged to somehow.  
  
"And she said Ranma and Ryoga were working on something?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Since when could those two get along," Cologne said to no one in particular. She left the room without a word.  
  
"You're welcome," Mousse said.  
  
================  
  
"Oww!" Ranma yelled as the wax bullet struck him on the shoulder.  
  
"I told you to stay down," Ryoga said as he crept below the reeds.  
  
"How the hell are we supposed to tell where the shooters are if we can't even stick our heads up for a second!" Ranma shot back.  
  
"I don't know, but were supposed to find the shooters and eliminate them without taking too many hits," Ryoga stopped as reached a body of water.  
  
"I've got an idea Ryoga."  
  
"What?" Ryoga asked as he looked back at Ranma.  
  
"Just head to the bottom of the ridge over there," Ranma pointed. "And try not to be seen, and when I give the word you jump."  
  
Ranma slithered into the water and emerged silently on the other side. Ranma moved cautiously and only moved her head above the weeds at odd intervals. Ranma crept closer and closer to the hill that she believed the shooters occupied. Once she had moved behind their positions, Ranma approached them from behind.  
  
"Hey there boys," Ranma said in her best seductive voice.  
  
As the shooters turned to face the threat, Ryoga leapt form below the ridge and snatched the guns away from the shooters as he landed.  
  
"We win," Ranma smiled.  
  
The lights in the room turned on and a voice came on the intercom system.  
  
"Well done," Seiji congratulated. "I think you guys will be ready for the practice run tomorrow. And Ranma?"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma replied, knowing what Seiji was going to say.  
  
"Keep your head down," Seiji laughed as he left the intercom switched off.  
  
================  
  
Akane entered Akari's temporary room.  
  
"How're you doing?" Akane asked as she sat down.  
  
"Okay," Akari answered unconvincingly.  
  
"Look, I know its hard Akari but, you've just got to trust them."  
  
"I do trust him, it's just that.," Akari trailed off.  
  
"Just what?" Akane asked.  
  
"What will I do if he doesn't come back?" Akari asked quietly.  
  
"Akari, listen," Akane said, staring at Akari. "Ryoga is quite capable of taking care of himself. He's a great fighter and he isn't exactly stupid you know. Even if he gets in trouble Ranma's going to be there as well. And we don't have to worry about Ranma taking care of himself."  
  
Akari looked at Akane and smiled.  
  
"Oh, and why is that?"  
  
Akane looked confused for a moment. Why would she think that Ranma can't take care of himself.  
  
"Ranma's one of the greatest fighters I've ever seen. He's defeated every opponent he's ever faced, even Saffron."  
  
"Ryoga told me about what happened with him, you guys were very lucky," Akari said sympathetically. "He also told me what happened after you had been returned to normal."  
  
Akane blushed and looked away.  
  
"Ranma loves you Akane," Akari told her. "And I know you love him too."  
  
Akane glared at Akari and was about to deny it, but she realized that Akari was probably the only person she could admit this to, without having to worry about what they would do afterwards.  
  
"Yes, I do love Ranma."  
  
"Well it's good to hear one of you admit it," Akari smiled.  
  
"That bit of information doesn't leave this room," Akane told her seriously.  
  
"Okay, okay," Akari laughed. "Akane?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"If it's not too much trouble, can you come with me to my farm tomorrow?" Akari asked.  
  
"Sure!" Akane answered enthusiastically. "I've never seen you're farm before."  
  
"I have been wanting to see the pigs, and it will help to get my mind off of Ryoga."  
  
I doubt it, Akane thought, I really doubt it.  
  
================  
  
Author's Notes: Well, there's the first chapter. This story is definitely not going to follow the normal path of most Ranma ½ Fanfics.  
  
I hope everyone that has read the first chapter enjoys it and is interested in reading the rest of the story. 


	2. An Early Arrival

Volume 1 Chapter 2 An Early Arrival  
  
Ryoga woke with a start; his body protested the movement, as he was still quite sore from the training he and Ranma had endured the other day.  
  
"Damn," Ryoga cursed, rubbing his shoulder. "Those wax bullets hurt."  
  
Ryoga got off the couch and walked the short distance to the washroom. Remembering the instructions Seiji had given him, Ryoga washed his hands and face with warm water.  
  
Upon returning to the room, Ryoga discovered Ranma on the other couch, still sleeping.  
  
Now what are the ways you can make Ranma wake up? Ryoga asked himself. Hitting him works, but he hasn't done anything to deserve that. There's yelling in his ear, no, that doesn't work to often. Splashing him has always worked.  
  
Ryoga walked back in the bathroom and filled a bucket with water. Cold water. Ryoga walked towards Ranma's still form and emptied the contents of the bucket onto Ranma.  
  
"Yahhhh!" Ranma yelled as she leapt from the couch.  
  
"Mornin`," Ryoga smiled, setting the bucket onto the floor.  
  
"What the hell was that for?!" Ranma glared, she started squeezing the water from her clothes.  
  
"Just trying to wake you up," Ryoga said, the same smile on his face.  
  
"Yeah well, thanks a bunch," Ranma muttered as she removed her shirt.  
  
Ryoga quickly spun around before he had a nosebleed from seeing Ranma bare-chested.  
  
"Jeez Ryoga, I am a guy y`know," Ranma said.  
  
"Yeah well, that still does not change the fact that you retain the parts of the female anatomy. So I would greatly appreciate it if you would put a shirt on."  
  
"Okay, but what's going to happen to when you and Akari try and take you're relationship to the next level?" Ranma asked, a coy smile playing across her face.  
  
"I'll deal with that when the situation arises," Ryoga stated matter- of-factly.  
  
"Oh ho, so does this mean you, have, thought about it?" Ranma asked.  
  
"So what if I have, I'd like to see you try and deny that you've never thought about having sex with Akane," Ryoga said sarcastically.  
  
"S-Shut up man," Ranma stuttered out and cast his eyes to the floor, hoping the blush that radiated across his face would not be noticeable.  
  
"Oh, so this means you have given thought to it," Ryoga smiled facing Ranma again, thankful that she had put a shirt on.  
  
Ranma was now the one that wouldn't face Ryoga. But Ryoga knew she had to be big-time blushing.  
  
"I know you love her," Ryoga said, not smiling anymore.  
  
Ranma turned and looked straight at Ryoga.  
  
"You don't know anything," Ranma said evenly. "And I would appreciate it if you kept your nose out my relationship with Akane."  
  
Ryoga sighed and placed his hand on Ranma's shoulder.  
  
"Okay, I won't try and meddle with anything, but, if you can't talk to me about this, than whom can you talk to?" Ryoga didn't wait for Ranma to respond. "I can't tell you that I know what it must have felt like to have held her in your arms, but I do want you to know that there is no doubt in my mind that you love her, more than any of the other girls."  
  
"Yeah, it hurt Ryoga, it hurt more than anything that's ever been done to me in the past," Ranma admitted.  
  
"Than why don't you just admit that you love her than?!" Ryoga shouted.  
  
"Because Ryoga!" Ranma yelled back, rage building inside her. "Because she doesn't love me."  
  
Ryoga was taken aback by this. He stared at Ranma incredulously, silently waiting for her to continue.  
  
"When the wedding was ruined, I realized that Akane only agreed to the marriage so I could get the nannichuan water. She was just taking pity on me."  
  
"And that doesn't tell you anything!?" Ryoga shouted again.  
  
"Huh?" Ranma took a step back when he saw the enraged look in Ryoga's eyes.  
  
"She was willing to change her whole life around, just for you. Just so you would get your cure. She was going to marry you because of that, just to have you get what you wanted most in the world."  
  
"I don't want a marriage out of pity," Ranma said.  
  
"That's not what I meant," Ryoga replied. "Do you not think that Akane would have agreed to the wedding even if the nannichuan water was not a consolation prize?"  
  
"I-I don't know, maybe," Ranma said weakly.  
  
"Let me put it this way," Ryoga paused, he realized what he was saying here could change Ranma's perception on his relationship with Akane. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. "Do you think you could live your life without Shampoo?"  
  
"Yes," Ranma answered with no emotion.  
  
"Could you go every day without seeing Ukyo?" Ryoga asked, watching Ranma's face intently.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma answered, his voice still absent of any emotion.  
  
"Now, I want you to truthfully tell me if you have ever given any thoughts to living your life without Akane."  
  
Ranma seemed to stop and consider Ryoga's words for a moment. "No, ever since Pop and I moved here, I've always thought of Akane as the only girl for me. She's been the only constant thing in my life other than Pop that I've really wanted to spend more time with."  
  
"Do you think it's any different for her?" Ryoga asked, watching Ranma's face.  
  
Ranma was caught short by Ryoga's question.  
  
"Akane loves you Ranma. All the nights I would spend with Akane as P- chan, all she would ever talk about is you. Whether it was about how you and her fought, or if it was about how the two of you spent the whole day being close, she would always talk about you. You guys have been unlucky in the respect that whenever the two of you would be close to doing anything, someone would interrupt. If any of those instances had just happened to not have been interrupted, than I'm sure it would have ended up with the two of you in bed together."  
  
Ryoga realized he was close to making Ranma understand.  
  
"Both of you have a lot to figure out Ranma, but don't take too long, otherwise you will miss your chance," Ryoga told him, ending the conversation by walking out of the room.  
  
Ranma stood there thinking about what Ryoga said. Finally he turned.  
  
"That might have been more dramatic Ryoga, if you hadn't walked into the washroom."  
  
===============  
  
Akane and Akari boarded a bus and took their seats.  
  
"It'll be nice to see the pigs again," Akari said.  
  
Akane could see it in her eyes. Akari had one of those far away looks. She knew Akari was thinking about Ryoga. Akane wished she could help but, she was thinking about Ranma probably as much as Akari was thinking of Ryoga.  
  
Come back to me Ranma, I don't know what I would do without you.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma and Ryoga crouched low in the pick-up truck. They were limiting their visibility but it was necessary for them to avoid being spotted by any scout that may be out there. The infiltration was scheduled to be a night-insertion, but that didn't mean they could take it easy.  
  
They both had there minds elsewhere as the truck rolled down the road.  
  
Ryoga silently thought about how the previous night's practice run had turned out. Everything had been going smoothly and soon he and Ranma had gotten to their hill without pause, but then they had received a shock when they found a team waiting for them on their destined spot and they realized they had failed. It was a costly lesson, more so that they did not have time to do another practice run.  
  
Ryoga felt the truck began to slow; he collected his pack and glanced over at Ranma. Since their talk the yesterday, Ranma had been very quite. As the truck passed under an overpass and they leapt into the reeds that surrounded the fields.  
  
Ranma led as they ran across the rice fields. Reaching their destined ridge, Ranma and Ryoga settled into a cleared spot that overlooked the fields and was close to the main road.  
  
Ryoga searched through his pack and checked the food and other supplies.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Ryoga, worry about that stuff later. Come over and check out the beautiful sky," Ranma said as he gazed up at the night sky.  
  
Ryoga shrugged and laid down beside Ranma and stared at the stars that adorned the night sky.  
  
"So what are you going to do after all this?" Ranma asked.  
  
"I don't know, Akari has been dropping hints about marriage for awhile, but..," Ryoga trailed off.  
  
"But what?"  
  
Well, it is kind of fast and I would like to maybe travel a little more and build up my martial arts," Ryoga said.  
  
"Ryoga," Ranma began, irritation in his voice. "In case you haven't noticed, you are one damn fine martial artist. You are the only guy I consider to be my rival. You don't rely on a curse like Pantyhose Taro, you aren't some weird inbred guy like Herb was, and you aren't some type of god like Saffron was. You have learnt all you're techniques on your own, except the breaking point. In the beginning you even trained yourself, and you were almost as good as me, and I had been trained since I was six. I've learnt my two strongest techniques because of you, the hiryu shoten ha and the moko takabisha. Don't you ever doubt your martial arts ability or I'll beat some sense into ya."  
  
Ryoga stared at Ranma. To hear Ranma say such nice things about him was completely out of character for him.  
  
"Thank you Ranma."  
  
"Just repaying the favor man. You helped me with that stuff about Akane," he paused. "Also, I was thinking that maybe it's time you proposed to Akari. There isn't really anything that's keeping either of you tied down."  
  
The conversation ended there and the two slowly drifted off to sleep, still facing the night sky.  
  
===============  
  
"So the shipment will be picked up tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Good, dismissed."  
  
The secretary bowed and quickly left the office. When she got to her desk someone approached her.  
  
"Is Maruyama in?" he asked.  
  
The secretary pressed a button on her phone. "Mr. Inafune is here to see you."  
  
"Good, send him in," the voice replied.  
  
"You can go right in," the secretary told Seiji.  
  
"Thanks," Seiji said as he walked into the office, making sure to close the door behind him.  
  
"A pleasure to see you looking so well Seiji," Toshi smiled.  
  
"And the same to you Toshi," Seiji said with feigned respect.  
  
"A trust the little mishap at the factory has been taken care of," Toshi said.  
  
"Yes, the workers have all been properly punished," Seiji reassured him.  
  
"And the culprits?" Toshi asked.  
  
"Ah, they have yet to be caught," Seiji lied.  
  
Toshi stared at Seiji. "You had better not be lying to me."  
  
"Wouldn't dream of it," Seiji said sarcastically.  
  
Toshi came out of his chair and leaned across his desk.  
  
"You know that I can make you disappear in the blink of an eye," Toshi snarled.  
  
"And you know that if I were to disappear there would be too many questions and your sorry ass would finally be tossed back into jail, where you would be introduced to the wonderful world of having your inmate try and screw you every time you bent over," Seiji smiled at the man he hated more than anything.  
  
Toshi's entire face turned red and he had to fight the urge to lunge across the table and kill the fool that sat before him.  
  
"The only thing keeping you from committing suicide is that damn mind block you've developed you bastard!" Toshi yelled. "And let me remind you that if you do ever betray me you will be sent into the Sea of Japan in a nice sack filled with bricks!"  
  
"Well, I've made my report, I'm leaving," Seiji said, getting up and exiting the office.  
  
Toshi waited in his office for a few minutes so he could calm down. Seiji was the only person that could piss him off so thoroughly. He couldn't wait until he was done injecting this stupid country with drugs so he could finally have the satisfaction of seeing the look in Seiji's eyes as he ripped his heart out of his chest.  
  
Feeling much calmer, Toshi stepped out of his office and turned to his secretary.  
  
"Has Minoru arrived yet?" he asked.  
  
"Yes sir, he is waiting in room 132," she replied.  
  
Toshi exited and walked down the hallway and made his way to room 132. He paused before entering and took a deep breath, and entered.  
  
"Greetings Minoru," Toshi smiled friendly. Minoru merely nodded his head.  
  
"And what news have you brought me?"  
  
"It seems the two people Seiji has recruited have been deployed at the main drop-off point outside of Tokyo. Now," Minoru began, "I have yet to learn about there objective. It appears that I have been kept out of this mission, whether this is intentional or not, it is unsettling. Can I count on you to give me refuge if I am caught?"  
  
"Of course," Toshi smiled.  
  
"Good," Minoru smiled. "What I do know is, you should push whatever pickups you have planned for the next few days."  
  
"I see," Toshi said.  
  
"I hope by the next time we meet, I will have learned the names of the new recruits."  
  
===============  
  
Akari flicked on the light upon entering her home.  
  
"Those piglets are so cute," Akane said after sitting down on a couch.  
  
"Yeah," Akari replied, no hint of emotion in her voice.  
  
Akane surveyed the room she was sitting in; the house had an obvious pig motif, but it still appeared to be very empty. The house was large, far too large for just one person, or two, whenever Ryoga happened to find his way here.  
  
Akane nearly gasped when she made this observation. She had never realized just how much Ryoga and Akari needed each other. Akari, living alone without someone to talk to other than her pigs; and Ryoga, never being able to find anything or knowing where he could end up if he walked to the bathroom. Ever since Ryoga had met Akari he had seemed so happy, and he had even begun to get along with Ranma. Akane stopped thinking when she realized Akari was talking to her.  
  
"-ane, what would you do if Ranma didn't come back?"  
  
Akane let the surprise show on her face. She had never even thought that Ranma might not come back.  
  
"I didn't mean to surprise you Akane but, I would really like to know," Akari said.  
  
"I-I don't know. I've never thought about it," Akane admitted.  
  
"So you just have confidence that the man you love will come back to you?" Akari asked.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"Okay," Akari said, and just went back to staring at the wall behind Akane.  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't the only one."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma and Ryoga watched as the trucks rumbled down the road.  
  
"What the hell is this?" Ranma wondered as he pressed the binoculars to his face.  
  
"Maybe there early," Ryoga suggested, as people got out of the truck and began digging trudging through the rice fields.  
  
"Well, whether their early or not, those guys are loading the drugs into the back of those trucks," Ranma said as he turned around and grabbed his pack. "Let's go pay them a visit."  
  
They trudged down their hill and quickly ran across the road. They crouched down in the reeds and began to crawl towards the trucks. They made it to about twenty feet from the trucks before they could see into the back of the truck.  
  
"Does it look like they have all the drugs in the back?" Ryoga asked, his voice barely audible.  
  
"I can't tell," Ranma said.  
  
"Well then just use the binoculars," Ryoga told him.  
  
Ranma turned and gave Ryoga a sheepish look.  
  
"You idiot," Ryoga said as he shook his head. "There isn't enough time to go back and get them so I guess we can just dispatch the trucks now."  
  
Ranma nodded and pulled out three standard military grenades.  
  
"Ready?" Ranma asked.  
  
Ryoga nodded and they both pulled the pins out and released the safety clips.  
  
The grenades sailed through the air and they landed in two of the trucks, a third grenade landed in the back of the last truck. The explosions knocked Ryoga and Ranma off their feet.  
  
They quickly jumped up from the ground and stood above the reeds to meet any of the men that made it out of the trucks. But no one came out.  
  
"Something's wrong," Ryoga said.  
  
From the other side of the road they saw movement and something went sailing through the air.  
  
"Oh shit! Run Ryoga!" Ranma shouted.  
  
Ranma began to run towards the tree-line with Ryoga right behind him. An explosion confirmed that it was a grenade that had been thrown. They reached a slightly wooded area and Ryoga lost sight of Ranma. When he emerged from the trees Ryoga didn't see Ranma. What he did see was 12 men waiting.  
  
"Let's get this over with," Ryoga said, dropping back into a fighting stance.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma ran as fast as he could, he emerged from the trees and he finally noticed that he could no longer hear Ryoga running behind him. Ranma glanced back and then came to a complete stop.  
  
"What the?" Ranma scanned the field. "Ryoga!"  
  
Ranma couldn't see any sign of the lost boy.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga dodged another attack. He had knocked out seven people already and he hadn't even broken a sweat yet.  
  
"Is this all you little girls have to offer?" Ryoga asked, mocking them.  
  
Ryoga began to advance on them, but stopped when he felt the cold steel of a muzzle press against his head.  
  
"You move, your brains are going to be splattered all over this field."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma found a payphone and quickly dialed a memorized number.  
  
"Seiji," the voice announced.  
  
"They got Ryoga."  
  
"What!" Seiji was very alert now.  
  
"A bunch of trucks showed up and started loading up the drugs, we dispatched them but when we were about to round up the people, there was no one there. Then someone threw a grenade so we took off, we ran into a forest and I lost Ryoga. Maybe he got lost but-"  
  
"Listen," Seiji cut Ranma off, "I will have a car come and pick you up. Just stay where you are."  
  
"Okay," Ranma said and hung up. He turned and stepped out of the booth.  
  
"Dammit Ryoga, what the hell am I going to tell Akari."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Chapter 2 has now been fired off. I have already posted these chapters before and I finished this big rewrite during the simultaneous release of the final chapter.  
  
Hope you have been enjoying the story so far. 


	3. Taking Control

Volume 1 Chapter 3 Taking Control  
  
Ryoga stared at his captors with a hateful glare. He was tied to a chair and seated down in an empty room. He could have easily broken the binds and smashed all the faces of the people in the room. But there was the problem with the four people pointing handguns at his chest.  
  
The door opened and someone walked in. As soon as Ryoga saw his face, he made the connection.  
  
"Toshi Maruyama," Ryoga said quietly. The man seemed shocked for a moment but quickly recovered.  
  
"I congratulate you on finding my name," Toshi smiled. "But, before we get the rest of the pleasantries out of the way, how about telling me who sent you into those fields."  
  
"Go to hell," Ryoga said calmly. He slowly twisted his hands against the bonds that held him in place.  
  
"Well, you can at least tell me your name," Toshi said conversationally.  
  
Ryoga said nothing and continued to stare at Toshi.  
  
Toshi sighed and walked right up to Ryoga, putting his face within centimeters of Ryoga's face.  
  
"We'll have to do this the hard way then," Toshi said dejectedly, as he peered into Ryoga's eyes. Toshi's eyes suddenly took a glazed look.  
  
Ryoga suddenly found he had no control over his body. A searing pain within his head kept him from completely going into shock.  
  
"Now, tell me who sent you!" Toshi bellowed in a loud voice.  
  
It took most of Ryoga's concentration but he was able to spit into Toshi Maruyama's face.  
  
Toshi's eyes flared and the pain in Ryoga's head increased. Ryoga's right arm suddenly raised and he punched himself in the face, hard. He was flung backward in his chair, his head slammed into the concrete floor.  
  
Ryoga was lifted back into a sitting position; his face was already swelling from his own punch.  
  
"I will remind you that if you do keep up this pitiful resistance, I will be forced to kill you," Toshi said, his cheerful voice returned. When Ryoga made no move to reply, Toshi sighed. He turned to the other guards in the room.  
  
"Go round up whatever people you can find inside of Nerima's Tendo Dojo, but take only one or two," Toshi told one of the men. The guard holstered his gun and walked out of the room, with the other guards following behind him.  
  
Ryoga stared at Toshi with a look of utter surprise on his face. Toshi smiled at him.  
  
"Well, I was hoping to get the name of whoever sent you to that field, but hopefully, now that we will have some of your family or friends over here, I will be able to get that name, without having to hurt the others too badly."  
  
"Where did you get the name of the Dojo?" Ryoga asked, with a surprised look still on his face.  
  
"Why your wallet Mr. Hibiki. Inside was the nice details telling me that if I found it, I should return it immediately to Nerima's Tendo Dojo," Toshi sneered. "You do not have very much experience in this line of business now do you Mr. Hibiki?"  
  
Ryoga, feeling the pain disappear from his head, snapped the bonds that held him to the chair and charged at Toshi. He had gone maybe four strides when he lost control of his body and hit the ground. A small amount of pressure was being applied to his neck.  
  
Toshi slammed his foot down on Ryoga's neck and laughed cruelly.  
  
"Now do you see my power?"  
  
Ryoga lay motionless, he couldn't move but he didn't really care. All he was doing was praying that Ranma was with Akari and Akane.  
  
===================  
  
Ranma paced up and down the front hallway in the Tendo household.  
  
"How the hell am I going to break this to Akari?" Ranma asked himself.  
  
At that moment the front door slid open and he heard Akane call out, "Were home!"  
  
Ranma rushed to the front door and was immediately tackled by Akane in a fearsome hug.  
  
"Your home!" Akane cried into Ranma's chest.  
  
Akari smiled at the two, until she noticed something.  
  
"Uh, Ranma? Where's Ryoga?" Akari asked.  
  
"The-There's something I've got to tell you Akari," Ranma said as he approached her.  
  
"W-Where's Ryoga, Ranma?" Akari asked again, her voice becoming shrill.  
  
"Look, just come ins-"  
  
"No!" Akari screamed. "He promised me he'd come back!" Akari yelled, tears streaming down her face. Akari took one look at Ranma's face and ran out of the house.  
  
"Akari wait!" Akane called as she ran after her.  
  
Ranma cursed as the phone rang, he walked over and picked it up.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Get out of the house Ranma,"  
  
"What, Seiji what are you talking about?"  
  
"Just get out of the house and bring Akane and Akari to the base."  
  
Ranma heard Akane scream and he dashed out of the house, dropping the phone. Ranma saw Akane being shoved into a black sedan by a tall Caucasian. The car sped away and Ranma gave chase. He leapt over the eastern wall and landed in the middle of the street and turned to see the car speeding towards him. He jumped backwards but his leg got clipped by the car and Ranma was thrown to the ground, hard.  
  
Ranma hopped to his feet but a flash of pain through his body made him fall back down, he hit the ground again and blacked out.  
  
===================  
  
Seiji, Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, Genma, and Nodoka sat around Ranma's unconscious form.  
  
"May I ask what your association with my son is?" Nodoka asked Seiji.  
  
"Forgive me," Seiji said, bowing to Nodoka, "My name is Seiji Inafune, I run a restaurant downtown. Ranma came to my attention when he and his friend Ryoga, destroyed an entire shipment of contraband."  
  
"By contraband, you mean drugs right?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"Yes," Seiji answered. "I arranged a meeting with them and I asked them for their assistance. You see, I have been working with a man who has, for the past ten years, been trying to infest Japan with drugs. I know that drugs are nothing new to Asia. Opium has always been a problem, but what he is trying to do is bring every problem that America and Columbia are facing and introduce them over here. The main problem is, America has a highly skilled military and police force, Japan on the other hand, has been using America as a crutch. And now that America has removed its heavy influence, Japan is now faced with dealing with all the problems that face most nations.  
  
"I enlisted Ranma and Ryoga's help, and trained them for a few days and then they were sent on a mission to destroy a month's supply of drugs outside Tokyo. They succeeded but, during there escape Ryoga was caught and now Akane and Akari have been taken as well."  
  
"Why was Akane and Akari kidnapped in the first place?" Soun asked.  
  
Seiji shifted uncomfortably. "There's something I haven't told you about this person that has been increasing the drug trade. His name is Toshi Maruyama; he has been hunted by almost every country in the world. Before he came to Japan, Toshi studied under some kind of tribe in China. They had specialized in some technique that allows people to read another one's thoughts, and if the person has mastered the technique, control a person's movements. I believe that Maruyama must have tortured Ryoga until he got whatever information he needed."  
  
"Do you know where they have been taken?" Genma asked, his arm wrapped around Nodoka.  
  
"Yes, but I will need Ranma's help," Seiji stated.  
  
Ranma began to stir and he emitted a low moan.  
  
"Oh, Ranma your awake," Kasumi said as she removed the clothe from his head. Ranma looked around until he noticed Seiji.  
  
"Seiji! Is Akane-"  
  
"Sorry Ranma," Seiji cut him off, "They got her, and Akari."  
  
"Damn," Ranma swore.  
  
"All is not lost Ranma, I have a good idea where they were taken," Seiji said.  
  
"Then let's go!" Ranma shouted as he leapt to his feet.  
  
"Wait!" Everyone stopped when they realized that Nodoka had said this. "Ranma, you are going to need help with this. Maybe you should go get Shampoo or Mousse."  
  
Ranma did not seem to like the idea of getting Shampoo or Mousse to help him with this, thankfully Kasumi had an idea.  
  
"Oh, why don't you take Dr. Tofu, he reopened his clinic earlier this week," Kasumi smiled.  
  
"Uh, yeah that would work, doc's a great martial artist," Ranma said.  
  
Ranma bid his goodbyes to everyone and got into Seiji's car.  
  
"Who's this Dr. Tofu fellow?" Seiji asked.  
  
"I'll explain on the way there," Ranma responded.  
  
===================  
  
"Hey!" Akane yelled as she was thrown into a room. "You jerk, you could be a little gentler!"  
  
Akari soon followed Akane's path of entry and she collided with Akane.  
  
"Ow," Akari muttered as she climbed back to her feet. "Sorry Akane."  
  
"It's okay," Akane said as she took Akari's offered hand.  
  
"Where the hell are we?" Akari asked.  
  
"I don't know but we should pro-"  
  
"Ryoga!" Akari yelled. She ran over to the body in the corner. Akari turned his body over and gasped.  
  
Ryoga's face was a bloody mess.  
  
"Is he, alive?" Akane asked as she slowly approached.  
  
Akari placed her head to Ryoga's chest and felt the slight rise and fall of his chest. Akari breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Akane.  
  
"He's breathing," Akari told her. Akane released the breath she had been holding.  
  
"Let's move him to the bed," Akane said.  
  
Akari nodded and moved over by Ryoga's head, Akane moved down by his legs. Gently they moved him to the bed.  
  
"We should probably wash that blood of his face," Akari suggested.  
  
Akane nodded her agreement and tenderly untied one of his bandanna's.  
  
"I'll never understand how he keeps all those bandanna's tied there," Akane said as she ran warm water over the bandanna from a nearby sink.  
  
"Kind of like that hammer you're so fond of whipping out and beating Ranma with," Akari noted as she took the dampened bandanna from Akane.  
  
Akari lightly stroked Ryoga's face. The blood began to run off Ryoga's face and soon the pillow was a deep red color. As soon as his face was clean Akari leaned over and gently kissed Ryoga.  
  
"Do you think he'll wake up soon?" Akari asked, her hand still stroking Ryoga's face.  
  
"Ryoga's a pretty tough guy, I'm sure he'll wake up soon and get us out of here, Akane answered, putting a sympathetic hand on Akari's shoulder.  
  
Ryoga slowly stirred and he tried to sit up but he fell back.  
  
"Ryoga!"  
  
"A...ka..ri," Ryoga slowly said. His voice was strained and he was in obvious pain.  
  
"What happened Ryoga?" Akane asked.  
  
"Got..turned around.. beat couple guys.. one of them had.. a gun," Ryoga took a deep breath and exhaled, his body seemed to shake with the act of breathing. "Took..me...back here. they expressed their. dislike for me.. with their... boots... and..fists."  
  
"Why didn't you fight back?" Akari asked as she ran her hand over Ryoga's cheek.  
  
"Couldn't," Ryoga breathed. "Toshi..Maruyama.. made it so I... couldn't move."  
  
Ryoga began to slowly get up and Akari grabbed one of his arms and helped him to his feet. Akane ran to his other side as Ryoga tried to take a few shaky steps and together they helped Ryoga to the wall.  
  
"I'll..get us..out of here," Ryoga said as he placed his hand on the wall for support. "You.two stay.back."  
  
"Bukusai Tenketsu!" Ryoga yelled as he struck the wall with his index finger. The wall exploded in a shower of rubble. Ryoga was catapulted backwards and was caught by Akari.  
  
"Can you carry him?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yup," Akari said, shifting Ryoga to her back in the piggyback position.  
  
"Okay, let's go."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma, Seiji, and Dr. Tofu sped down the streets of Tokyo.  
  
"You've certainly been busy Ranma," Tofu said after Ranma finished telling him what had transpired in the past weeks.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma sighed.  
  
"So who's this Maruyama fellow?" Tofu asked Seiji.  
  
"He's a powerful practitioner of telekinesis. He can control your movements and keep you from even blinking with only a second's preparation," Seiji explained.  
  
Tofu whistled. "I've heard of people that could do things like that, but never on such a high level."  
  
"Yes, he is quite powerful," Seiji nodded gravely.  
  
The rest of the drive was ridden in silence. As Seiji pulled into a parking space in front of a ten-story building, Ranma spoke up.  
  
"Everyone get ready, I'm sure there's going to be a welcoming committee."  
  
===============  
  
Akane, Akari, and Ryoga raced down the hallways of the building. They had found out that they were a little too high off the ground for them to attempt a leap to safety. So at this point they were attempting to find a staircase or an elevator.  
  
During their search, Ryoga had been drifting in and out of consciousness.  
  
"Arrrgh! There must be a hundred rooms in this place!" Akane yelled as she slammed another door closed.  
  
"Oh Akari, I'm so sorry to have brought you into this," Ryoga said as Akari's breathing began to grow heavier from carrying Ryoga through the halls.  
  
"It's not your fault Ryoga," Akari said as Akane turned down another hallway.  
  
"I love you Akari, I'm sorry I haven't told you sooner. I want to be with you forever," Ryoga whispered into Akari's ear.  
  
"Ryoga, as much as I love hearing you say something like that, now is not exactly the time to be talking about this. So how about we just concentrate on finding our way out of here?" Akari asked as she shifted Ryoga up higher.  
  
The sudden movement caused a flash of pain to rack through his body, and sent him into unconsciousness. But not before his hand spasmed and clutched Akari's breast.  
  
Akari blushed furiously and tried to rearrange Ryoga's position, but she was unable to without putting Ryoga down.  
  
"Um, Akane?" Akari asked.  
  
"Yeah?" Akane responded without turning around.  
  
"Could you help me with this?" Akari asked. Akane turned around and instantly began laughing.  
  
"How did this happen?" Akane asked as she moved Ryoga's hand.  
  
Akari mumbled something under her breath and walked around the corner. She spotted two guards coming down the hallway and quickly dashed behind the wall.  
  
"Two guards are coming," Akari said quickly.  
  
"Alright, you stay here and I'll go ask them for directions," Akane smiled. She stepped out from behind the wall and waited for the guards to approach her.  
  
"Um, do you two know where the elevator is?" Akane asked in her cutest voice.  
  
"Down the hall and to the left," the taller guard answered.  
  
"So it's down there," Akane pointed. As the guards turned around Akane slammed their heads together with as much force she could muster.  
  
The guards collapsed and she pulled their bodies behind the wall.  
  
"Wow, that was pretty cool Akane," Akari said admiringly.  
  
"It was nothing," Akane said as she ran down the hall to the elevator. As soon as she got there she pushed the button quickly.  
  
"Look Akane," Akari motioned with her head to the display where it showed where the elevator was. "It just went down to floor 1."  
  
"So?" Akane asked. "It's probably just letting people off.  
  
"Or more people got on."  
  
Akane looked up at the display. The elevator was on floor 3 and moving upwards.  
  
"You might be right," Akane admitted. "Here's what will do, once the doors open I'll charge in and take care of anyone that's inside."  
  
Akari nodded her acceptance of Akane's plan and moved beside the elevator doors. Akane stood directly in front of the doors, ready to charge. The elevator was moving upwards to their floor.  
  
As soon as the 6 icon flashed, Akane was already charging forward. The doors parted and Akane stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
"R-Ranma?"  
  
Ranma, Seiji, and Dr. Tofu were staring at Akane with dumbstruck expressions.  
  
Ranma grabbed Akane and wrapped her in a fearsome hug. Ranma quickly released her when he realized he had an audience. Akari stepped into the elevator and Ranma glanced at the body she was carrying.  
  
"You guys found Ryoga," Ranma breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Well, we were actually put into a cell with him," Akari said as she slowly put Ryoga onto the floor of the elevator. "He was pretty beat up but he still managed to destroy one of the cell walls."  
  
Dr. Tofu began examining the unconscious Ryoga.  
  
"Well, you were right when you said he was beat up, looks like he was on the receiving end of some real strong punches and kicks," Tofu said in his doctor voice. "But I don't think anything except a couple of ribs are broken."  
  
"I suggest we remove ourselves from this building and move to a facility better suited for treating Ryoga," Seiji said as he pressed the button on the elevator.  
  
Everyone breathed a little easier as the elevator doors closed, but they soon noticed something.  
  
"Hey, why are we going up?!" Ranma shouted.  
  
"I don't know," Seiji admitted as he opened up the panel and began hitting the emergency stop button. "Something has control over this elevator.  
  
The elevator stopped on the 10th floor. The doors parted and they were met by a very unwelcome sight.  
  
"Hello," Toshi greeted. "Would you all be so kind as to step out of there so I don't have to shoot you."  
  
There was no room for argument as Toshi was flanked by three guards with handguns pointed at the occupants of the elevator.  
  
===============  
  
Toshi led them to a room that was marked as a debriefing room.  
  
"You can just set Ryoga down by the door doctor," Toshi smiled as Tofu instantly complied with what he had said.  
  
Everyone sat down in a chair. Toshi walked around them to stand behind the desk that was positioned in front of all the chairs. He released the hold he had been holding over them.  
  
"Now, you all have caused me a great amount of trouble," Toshi said, his voice very calm. He opened a drawer and bent down to retrieve something.  
  
That was all the time Ranma needed to leap out of his chair and dive across the desk and attempt to hit Toshi in the side of the head with a kick. Ranma was shocked to find that his leg wasn't responding and he was now falling to the ground.  
  
"That was a very foolish thing to do Ranma, Toshi said, removing a pistol from the drawer. He stared intently at Ranma and made him get up and go sit back in his seat.  
  
Toshi walked around them and put them all under his control again.  
  
"You all have really stressed me to my limits," Toshi told them. "And when I'm stressed out, I find it is always a great relief to kill someone."  
  
Toshi moved the gun to the back of Tofu's head. "Now, I won't kill all of you, at least not yet, but I do find that people are a lot more conversational when they have their dead friends sitting beside them." He moved slowly down the line of chairs, pressing the muzzle of the gun against each person's head. He finally stopped between the two girls. "Hmm, I think I'll keep one of you, but I don't know which to choose." He stared straight at Akari and let his hand slowly fall down her face and stop on her chest. "Oh yes, you are probably the best choice," he said, giving her chest an experimental squeeze.  
  
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"  
  
A bright ball of chi energy struck Toshi and hurled him against the wall.  
  
"Don't you ever touch her again you worthless bastard!" Ryoga snarled as he staggered towards Akari. He reached down and picked up the gun.  
  
Akari stopped crying and rushed to Ryoga's side and wrapped her arms around him. Toshi slowly got to his feet and glared at Ryoga, he was holding his left arm, which was twisted in a very odd angle. Ryoga glared back while removing the clip from the gun.  
  
"I'm very glad your awake Ryoga," Toshi said, he looked over at Akane, "Now, from what I gather your Akane. Ryoga had some very interesting things to say when we injected him with Sodium Pentathal."  
  
Ryoga could only glare at Toshi and Ranma quickly tried to distract Akane but he couldn't move.  
  
"I trust that you already know about Ranma's trip to Jusenkyo, but what I don't think you know is that Ryoga followed him there. Ryoga was peering over a cliff face when Ranma and his father emerged from the bushes behind him. Ryoga leapt over Genma but he was unsuccessful in evading Ranma. Ryoga was knocked off of the cliff and into the spring of drowned black piglet."  
  
Akane eyes widened as Toshi finished talking. She turned to look at Ranma but he was staring at the ground. Next she turned to Ryoga and saw the look of shame on his face.  
  
"No," Akane said quietly. "No!"  
  
She rushed at Ryoga but collapsed before she even took two steps.  
  
"Sorry Akane," Toshi said with no trace of sympathy in his voice. "But how could you have never figured it out. It had to have been the simplest thing in the world. Stupid girl."  
  
"Shut up!" Ranma yelled, lunging at Toshi. Toshi hadn't even identified who had yelled when he was kicked square in the face and sent sprawling to the ground.  
  
Ranma rushed over to Akane and picked her up off the ground and into his arms.  
  
Toshi slowly got to his feet and grabbed the gun from Ryoga, who had yet to be released from Toshi's mind hold. Toshi walked right up to Ranma and pointed the gun at his chest.  
  
"Now you die," Toshi said his voice absent from the calmness it had contained earlier.  
  
Ryoga watched as Ranma moved Akane out of the way and stood facing Toshi. He realized horrifyingly that Ranma didn't think the gun was loaded. Ranma didn't realize that he hadn't removed the chambered round. Ranma wasn't going to move. Ryoga knew he had to get Ranma out of the way.  
  
He broke Toshi's mind hold and ran straight at Ranma. He jumped and hit Ranma square in the shoulder, pushing Ranma out of the way.  
  
Ryoga didn't even hear the gun go off. The bullet struck him in the chest; the force of the bullet spun him around in mid-air. He hit the ground and the pain became very evident. He heard Akari scream as he hit the ground. Her face appeared in front of his and he could see the tears in her eyes. Someone else was next to him and he presumed it was Dr. Tofu. Ryoga raised his hand and ran it across her face and managed to smile before the pain became too intense and he passed out.  
  
Tofu lifted Ryoga off the ground and exited the room, Akari close behind.  
  
Ranma watched Tofu leave. He was struck dumb; he hadn't thought the gun to be loaded. Nor did he think that Ryoga would be the push him out of the way. Ranma turned and looked at Akane; she didn't appear to be very coherent right at the moment. The sound of a clip sliding into a gun brought his attention to the only other occupant of the room.  
  
"Damn fool, I was aiming for you," Toshi said.  
  
Ranma vision became red as he leapt to his feet and charged at Toshi. Toshi didn't even have time to chamber a round when Ranma jumped over him, twisting in the air and landing to face him. Toshi tried to turn around but he was far too slow.  
  
"Die you worthless bastard!" Ranma yelled. There was no confidence in him, but he said it anyway. "Moko Takabisha!"  
  
A giant chi blast struck Toshi in the chest, instead of catapulting him backwards; the blast went right through his chest. He tried to scream but he found he had no breath to scream. He slowly slumped to the ground and remained there.  
  
Ranma began to shake and he would have fallen backwards if it were not for Akane wrapping her arms around him. She whispered that everything was going to be alright as she led him out of the room; but Ranma knew that it wasn't going to be alright, and nothing would ever be the same again. He wouldn't realize until later that he was almost right.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: For everyone that has already read this story and has decided to read it again has probably noticed that there are a very many things different. That is because I took some time to do a major rewrite of the chapters leading up to the final chapter of Semper Fi.  
  
Sodium Pentathal is a drug that can be used as a sort of truth serum. It has been used by the American Army before, as it allows a person to become completely willful to divulging any type of information the interviewer may want.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying this story, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would write a review. 


	4. Recovery

Volume 1 Chapter 4 Recovery  
  
Akane, Akari, and Dr. Tofu, waited patiently for any news on Ranma or Ryoga's condition. When they had brought Ryoga in he was rushed into surgery. Ranma had been brought in for a simple examination, as he had been showing symptoms of shock. There had been no word on either's condition.  
  
Ryoga had been in surgery for 5 hours. Akari was growing increasingly worried. When a doctor dressed in medical greens walked in, she rushed over to him and began questioning him.  
  
"Wait, wait," he said lightly. "I'm sorry but I don't have any information on your friend."  
  
"Boyfriend," Akari corrected him.  
  
"Sorry, but I'm here to see Akane Tendo."  
  
"What is it?" Akane asked as she approached.  
  
"Come with me please," the doctor said as he turned around and began walking away. Akane quickly rushed to follow him. He led Akane to a room and motioned for her to go in, then left.  
  
Akane turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open.  
  
"Hi," Akane greeted.  
  
"Hey," Ranma said back.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Akane asked, closing the door. She grabbed a chair and moved it beside Ranma's bed.  
  
"Fine, the doctors said I was just going through some of the symptoms for a shock patient," Ranma sighed. He paused a moment before asking, "Why did he do Akane?"  
  
"Do what?" Akane asked, not understanding.  
  
"Ryoga," Ranma said quietly. "Why did he push me out of the way?" Ranma looked straight at Akane. She could tell this was really bothering him.  
  
"Because he's your friend," Akane told him. "You would have done the same thing for him."  
  
"But what about all the times we've fought and tried to beat the crap out of each other?" Ranma asked.  
  
"I don't know Ranma, maybe you two aren't the best of friends; but when it counts you guys will always work together," Akane shrugged. She seemed a little apprehensive but she continued. "Now, I want to ask you about what Toshi said."  
  
Ranma immediately took a guarded look. "W-what do you mean?"  
  
"You know what I mean Ranma," Akane said.  
  
"It's true," Ranma replied, finding a very interesting place on the wall to gaze at.  
  
"Why?" Akane asked quietly.  
  
"Because Ryoga was in love with you," Ranma said.  
  
"What?!" Akane shouted.  
  
"I'm really sorry Akane," Ranma said, his gaze moving back to Akane.  
  
"Is this why you two would always fight?" Ranma nodded. "Does he still love me?" Ranma shook his head.  
  
"No," Ranma said firmly. "After everything that happened when we went to China, Ryoga realized he didn't love you as much anymore and he loved Akari more."  
  
"This is all true isn't it?" Akane looked at Ranma, who nodded. "I see."  
  
"Akane, please hear Ryoga out first, he never meant to hurt you," Ranma said, his eyes pleading with her.  
  
"I will Ranma, but you need to promise me one thing," Akane said.  
  
"Anything Akane."  
  
"No more secrets," she stated. "I don't want anymore secrets between us."  
  
"Okay, I promise," Ranma said, not really considering what he had just said.  
  
Akane let herself smile. She knew that a promise from Ranma was as good as done. It also meant that Ranma would finally have to tell her if he really did tell her that he loved her at Jusendo.  
  
Ranma mentally slapped himself. He had done it again, making promises before thinking them through entirely. On the other side, it was the perfect opportunity for him to find out if Akane loved him.  
  
Ranma sat up in his bed and turned in his bed so he was facing Akane completely. It would be quite a gamble, but remembering what he and Ryoga talked about a few days ago made him continue.  
  
"Akane," Ranma said, "when you asked me if I loved you at the wedding, I made what I think is the stupidest mistake of my life. I denied it."  
  
"When I first met you I was at a very odd point in my life. I know that most of my life is odd but I had only been dunked into the Nyannichuan only a few weeks earlier. And when you first asked if I would like to be your friend, I was so relieved. But after we had that incident in the bathroom twice, I didn't think it would be possible for us to ever make things work."  
  
"After what happened in Jusendo, I realized just how wrong I was. When I made that dragon look up at the sky and the water came rushing out, everything seemed like it would be okay. But when you turned back and you weren't moving, my entire world came crashing down. It was like my entire life, my world, was over."  
  
Akane nearly gasped when Ranma admitted that. She stared at him with wide eyes.  
  
Ranma, realizing what he had just said, quickly went back to what he had been originally talking about.  
  
"Anyway, I put my shirt over you and I just held you in my arms. I think you know about what I said after."  
  
Akane slowly nodded. "You mean everything you said was true, especially what I think you said?"  
  
"I still stand by my belief that I didn't say I love you out loud," Ranma said. He saw Akane's angry look.  
  
"Why don't you just admit it!?" Akane yelled.  
  
"Don't you hear what I'm saying?" Ranma shouted back at her. "I said I was positive that I didn't say I love you out loud but I did not deny thinking it."  
  
"And?" Akane asked her voice still skeptical.  
  
"Damn it Akane! I didn't say I love you but I damn well did think it! Isn't that enough?!" Ranma yelled his face becoming red with anger.  
  
"It's different when you say it!" Akane countered.  
  
"Fine!" Ranma shouted. "If that's the way you want it. I love you! You, Akane!" Ranma had finished before he realized just what he had just yelled out.  
  
Akane's lingering anger was extinguished when Ranma yelled out; she could see Ranma was shaking with emotion.  
  
"D-Did you mean that?" Akane asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess do," Ranma said, not facing Akane.  
  
Akane got up off her chair and sat down by Ranma. She enclosed her hand around his. Ranma slowly turned to face her and he gazed into her eyes. Akane leaned forward and pressed her lips against Ranma's. She wanted him to have no doubt about her feelings for him. Ranma ran his hand through Akane's hair as he opened his mouth to Akane's invading tongue. Finally, they broke off the kiss, both starving for air. Akane gazed at Ranma smiling.  
  
"I love you too," Akane said.  
  
As soon as those words escaped Akane's mouth Ranma had captured her up in a deep hug as tears flowed freely from his eyes.  
  
"Oh god, oh god, Akane, I didn't think you loved me," Ranma admitted.  
  
"Why?" Akane asked genuine shock on her face.  
  
"Akane, I know you were bribed with the Nannichuan water into marrying me."  
  
"Oh Ranma," Akane laughed. "Did I ever actually say that?"  
  
"Well no, but I-"  
  
"Then what made you think that I only agreed to marry you because of that?" Akane asked, interrupting Ranma.  
  
"I just didn't think you loved me," Ranma said, averting Akane's gaze.  
  
Akane tilted Ranma's head up and gazed into his eyes. "I love you; you Ranma Saotome."  
  
Ranma nearly started crying again but instead leaned in for another kiss. As Akane returned Ranma's kiss, Ranma leaned back and brought Akane down on top of him. Akane readjusted himself so she was not resting all her weight on Ranma. She began to let her hand wander down Ranma's chest when she stopped, and broke off the kiss.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ranma asked, panting for breath.  
  
"Ranma, I don't think we should be doing this right now," Akane said.  
  
"Why?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
"Ryoga's lying on an operating table with his life on the line, Akari's practically having a nervous breakdown, and here we are acting like a couple of horny teenagers. It's just not right."  
  
Ranma looked at Akane and slid out from underneath her. "I-I'm sorry," Ranma apologized.  
  
"No, Ranma it's nothing to be sorry about. I wouldn't have minded if we had gone all the way but, under different circumstances," Akane said lightly, "Do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma smiled, "It does feel kind of weird."  
  
"Do you mind if we go and check on Ryoga's condition?" Akane asked.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
===============  
  
Dr. Tofu was leaning against the door that led into Ranma's medical room.  
  
He quickly bolted from the door when he heard Ranma and Akane walk towards it.  
  
The door opened and Ranma and Akane stepped out, hand in hand.  
  
"Huh, what are you doing here Dr. Tofu?" Ranma asked, releasing Akane's hand.  
  
"Oh, I was just coming to check up on you two," Tofu said.  
  
"Oh okay," Ranma said, thankful Dr. Tofu had not come by a little earlier.  
  
"So, any news on Ryoga's condition?" Akane asked.  
  
"Well, a little while ago a doctor came running into and quickly called for Akari Unryuu to follow him," Dr. Tofu told them. The color seemed to drain from Ranma and Akane's faces.  
  
"Is Ryoga okay?" Ranma asked quietly.  
  
"He's fine, it seems that when they finished stitching up Ryoga, he woke up and he started saying Akari's name over and over again and he started to try and get out of the bed. The doctors pumped some more sedatives into him but it didn't seem to have any effect on him so they finally came and got Akari."  
  
Ranma and Akane both released the breath they had been holding. They walked with Dr. Tofu to the waiting room and sat down in some chairs.  
  
"So where are they now?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Ryoga's been moved into Intensive Care and Akari's with him. I doubt if Ryoga's even conscious right now. So right now all we can do is wait," Tofu said with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"I guess we should call home," Akane said, the tone of her voice telling that she was not looking forward to it.  
  
"Yep," Ranma agreed, "Man, I am going to have a lot of explaining to do."  
  
===============  
  
Akari stared at Ryoga's face. He looked very serene; all his facial features were relaxed. Akari glanced over at the clock on the wall of their room; she had been awake for twenty-two hours straight. And for three of those hours she had been talking to Ryoga while he lay unconscious.  
  
"I still remember the first moment I saw you, you looked so strong, so cool. I could tell from that moment onward I would be comparing every other person I met to you; my perfect man," Akari said as she let her hand run through Ryoga's hair. "Our first date was anything but perfect, I learned later that the reason you were hugging all those guys was because of that incense Ranma used to help you overcome your shyness; but even though all those things happened I still thought you were the perfect man. I was so shocked when I tried to kiss you and when I opened my eyes I found a pig sitting where you were just standing. It was very nice of Ranma to try and help explain what happened. Even though his actions were a little less than thought out."  
  
Akari looked at Ryoga for any kind of reaction but he was still unconscious.  
  
"I think the moment I truly felt that you would marry me was when I was attacked in that alleyway by those men. All I could think about was you. I kept praying that you would come and save me and then I saw this blur and the pervert in front of me was knocked onto the ground. Then you came charging into view and you beat the crap out of those two other guys. My heart soared even though I knew I would faint any second. When you knelt in front of me and asked if I was okay, all I could think was how much I wanted to get up and hug you, but I just had to faint."  
  
"You are the only thing in my life that makes me happy Ryoga," Akari noticed her voice was cracking but she had to keep going. "Please, wake up, I need you."  
  
Akari grabbed Ryoga's hand and held onto it like it was her lifeline. She couldn't find the strength to keep her head up and was soon crying into the bed Ryoga was laying on.  
  
"Please Ryoga! Come back to me," she cried. "I don't care if you love Akane more than me, I just want you back."  
  
Akari continued to cry until she felt some pressure applied to her hand. She looked up and saw Ryoga staring back at her.  
  
"Hi," Ryoga said, his voice sounded like sandpaper.  
  
"R-Ryoga?" Akari could only stare at the face of her boyfriend with total shock displayed on her face. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Despite the immense amount of pain in my chest, I guess you could say that I'm okay," Ryoga said, a smile playing across his face.  
  
"I thought you were going to die," Akari cried out as she let her emotions get the better of her.  
  
"From a little gunshot wound? Heh, I'll probably be out of here later today," Ryoga announced, his voice betraying the pain he felt at the moment.  
  
"God dammnit Ryoga!" Akari cried as she slapped his arm. "How the hell can you be so damn cocky!?"  
  
"I don't know, maybe the fact that I have been shot and now here I am talking to the girl I love and all I feel is pain because I have made her worry about me. I believe I am entitled to be a little damn cocky!"  
  
Akari glared at Ryoga but instead of arguing with him, she poured him a glass of water and stuck a straw in it so he could drink out of it. He greedily drank out of the glass until almost half of the glass was empty.  
  
"Thanks Akari," Ryoga sighed as he eased himself back onto the pillow. He suddenly noticed that he was not wearing anything other than a hospital gown and the gown had ridden up to his waist.  
  
"Uh Akari?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Do you think you could maybe cover up my crotch?" Ryoga asked, his face a neat shade of red.  
  
Akari smiled wickedly at Ryoga and slowly moved down the bed. "Oh I don't know Ryoga, I think I like you just the way you are," she smiled as she took a long appreciative view of Ryoga's midsection.  
  
"Akari, I am asking you nicely, now please cover up my damn crotch before I get a damn cold."  
  
Akari smiled and complied with Ryoga and retook her seat beside him. She started to stroke Ryoga's face with her hand. She smiled to herself as Ryoga's face suddenly took on a serene look.  
  
"I'm sorry Akari," Ryoga said.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For putting you through so much grief. You could probably still be leading a normal life if you had never met me," Ryoga informed her.  
  
Akari stopped stroking Ryoga's face and cupped his other cheek and pushed his head to the side so he was looking at her.  
  
"Ryoga, I may be a nice girl but, if you ever make the assumption that I would be better off without you I will make sure your stay in this hospital will be a lot longer than earlier predicted," she said, her voice carrying a deadly seriousness to it.  
  
Ryoga knew that she meant what she said. He'd never understand it, but the girl sitting in front of him was so much in love with him that he could swear that she was radiating love waves.  
  
Ryoga smiled shyly at Akari. He held that smile on his face even as he drifted asleep. Akari smiled to, and she as well fell asleep with the smile on her face, her hand still cupping Ryoga's cheek.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma watched horrified as Ukyo, Konatsu, Shampoo, Cologne, Mousse, the Tendo's, and his parents walked into the waiting room.  
  
"You didn't call everyone did you?" Ranma asked Akane.  
  
"Uh huh," Akane nodded.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Ranma shouted.  
  
"Ranma," Akane said sternly, "Would you of rather had Nabiki tell them? Remember what happened the last time we decided to do something without telling all the others."  
  
Scenes of Shampoo and Ukyo holding exploding food played across his mind. "Yeah, your probably right," Ranma said.  
  
"Good," Akane smiled.  
  
Ranma waved at his family so they could see him. Nodoka rushed over and hugged her son deeply. Ranma expected to be swamped upon by Shampoo but when he looked over, Shampoo and Ukyo were hanging dejectedly behind the group.  
  
"Is everything okay son?" Soun asked.  
  
"Maybe you would like to enlighten us, Akane was rather skimpy on the details over the phone," Genma said.  
  
Ranma stuck up his hands to silence the two fathers and then took a long look at the group in front of him.  
  
"I guess I better start from the beginning."  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga slowly awoke and found Akari's sleeping form beside him. He smiled as he ran his hand through her hair.  
  
The smile vanished off his face as he felt a pulling feeling in his chest. He ran his hand over the fresh stitches that adorned his chest. The memory of the bullet striking him ran through his mind over and over again. The wound hurt but it would easily heal within the next few days.  
  
Ryoga felt a little shamed with himself for feeling scared at the moment. He could take being smashed with four-tonne boulders, but when it came to facing a small handgun, he was terrified. There was just something about a gun that made his skin crawl. Something that could end anyone's life with just a matter of pulling a trigger was too damn terrifying for him. Ryoga realized that he would make a pretty damn terrible soldier. Afraid of guns.  
  
Akari stirred and awoke to feel a hand running over her head. She smiled and raised her head to look at Ryoga but her smile evaporated. She did not expect to find him crying. She was even more surprised to find that she herself was crying.  
  
Akari climbed into Ryoga's bed and slipped under the covers and wrapped her arms around him, careful to not hit any of the tubes that were attached to the IV "tree".  
  
"It's going to be alright Ryoga," She whispered into his ear.  
  
Ryoga shook his head. "No its not Akari, not after what's happened. Were probably going to be hunted down by Toshi's troops for a long time. I know it."  
  
"It doesn't matter, as long as were together."  
  
"How can you even say that?" Ryoga asked. "After almost dying as many times as you did yesterday, how can you think that everything's going to be alright?"  
  
Akari smiled despite the horrified expression on Ryoga's face. "I think that because I am with the man that I love and want to spend the rest of my life with. That's why," Akari said.  
  
Ryoga stared at her for awhile before smiling back, there was no way he could ever resist her pretty face.  
  
"Damn your cute," Ryoga smiled.  
  
Akari blushed at the amount of emotion Ryoga put into those words and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"And your quite handsome yourself," she said.  
  
Ryoga sighed as he leaned his head back onto the pillow.  
  
"You know Akari, despite lying in a medical bed with a hole in my chest, I think this is the happiest I've ever been," Ryoga said thoughtfully.  
  
"I feel the same way," Akari said as she nuzzled her head against his chest.  
  
"I mean, all the time I spent with Akane as P-chan, I never felt like I do now."  
  
Akari tensed and looked up at Ryoga's face. "Um, Ryoga?"  
  
"Yeah," he said.  
  
"About Akane?"  
  
"You have nothing to worry about Akari, I love Akane with all my heart, but it's not the same love as it used to be. No longer am I filled with such sadness when I realize that Akane is going to spend the rest of her life with Ranma. I'm happy for her and I hope she and Ranma have a very happy life. And you know what?"  
  
"What?" Akari asked.  
  
"I hope me and you will have a very good life together. Whether were going to spend the years at your farm or maybe we'll find a place in Nerima and we can make a living there."  
  
"I would like that Ryoga, I would like that a lot," Akari smiled.  
  
Ryoga held Akari in his arms, the only noise in the room was the hum of the IV "tree".  
  
===============  
  
"And then we brought Ryoga here," Ranma said, finishing telling the others what he had been doing the past two weeks. He was greeted with complete silence.  
  
Ranma studied the faces of everyone. Cologne's face was completely neutral; Ranma didn't expect her to react anyways. Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse, and Konatsu, each wore a shocked expression. Nodoka seemed to be the only parent that was even functioning properly.  
  
"Is Ryoga going to be okay?" Nodoka asked.  
  
"I don't know," Ranma admitted sadly.  
  
"Can I speak with you for a moment Ranma?" Cologne asked as she walked away from the group. Ranma followed while everyone else wondered why Cologne had called Ranma "Ranma" and not son-in-law.  
  
"What is it ghoul?" Ranma asked tiredly.  
  
"You left something out of your story Ranma."  
  
Ranma's head snapped down to look Cologne in the face.  
  
"There is something different about your aura," Cologne told him. "This is not the first time that this has happened. Your aura was like this when you returned from China, after your fight with Saffron."  
  
Ranma wore a blank expression but his eyes gave him away.  
  
"Who did you kill?"  
  
"It was the guy that shot Ryoga. He was some kind of terrorist," Ranma answered.  
  
"I thought so, Ranma have you seen today's headlines?" Cologne asked.  
  
"No, why?"  
  
Cologne reached behind her back and produced a newspaper. She handed it to Ranma. The headline on page one read: Building Burns to the Ground. Arson Suspected.  
  
Ranma gaped at the photo on the page. It was the same place Seiji had taken him and Dr. Tofu to rescue the others.  
  
Wait a minute, Ranma thought.  
  
"Just a sec` ghoul," Ranma said as he turned and tried to locate Dr. Tofu. Ranma spotted him having a conversation with Kasumi. "Doctor!"  
  
Almost half the population of the room looked at him.  
  
"Uh, I meant him," Ranma said sheepishly, pointing at Dr. Tofu.  
  
"What is it Ranma?" Dr. Tofu asked as he wiped his glasses down.  
  
"Doctor, do you remember what happened to Seiji when we got out of the elevator?"  
  
"Well, I remember he was behind me on the way there but when we got into the room.. Oh my god!" Tofu shouted.  
  
Ranma spun around and faced Cologne.  
  
"There you go ghoul, Seiji's the one that burned down the building."  
  
"Burned down. What are you talking about?" Tofu asked.  
  
Ranma handed Tofu the newspaper. Tofu raised his glasses to his eyes and gazed at the paper.  
  
"Oh my," Tofu said under his breath. Ranma smiled at him.  
  
"Getting more and more like Kasumi every day doctor," Ranma smirked.  
  
The receptionist at the desk called a Ranma Saotome to the desk. Ranma walked over and she handed him an envelope.  
  
"A man walked in and asked me to give this to you," she said.  
  
Ranma thanked her and ripped the envelope open and pulled out the letter.  
  
Dear Ranma,  
  
I apologize for my sudden departure, but it was necessary for further preparations to be made. Do not worry about you being connected with Toshi's death or the fire, as you have probably already seen, there will not be much evidence left at all. I have also arranged for there to be no investigation into Ryoga's accident. I apologize that I am not able to tell you this in person but I'm afraid I must keep a low profile for now, as many of Toshi's connections are out for my head. Send my regards to Ryoga.  
  
P.S  
  
You and Ryoga will be rewarded for your services for me. I believe you will find it quite to you liking.  
  
Seiji  
  
  
  
Ranma could only smile at the letter. Seiji always did have a way with words. His smile faded as the memory of Toshi's face, twisting in agony as Ranma's blast hit him in the chest. The way his eyes seemed to bore into Ranma when he was hit, Ranma doubted that he would ever be able to forget that.  
  
"Um, Ranma are you okay?"  
  
Ranma was pulled from his thoughts and his head snapped around to face the person that had said that.  
  
"Y-Yeah Ucchan, I'm fine," Ranma said.  
  
Despite what Ranma said, Ukyo still looked a little worried.  
  
"Look Ukyo, I want to apologize for acting like such a jerk. I deserved what I got at the wedding. I was just kind of mad the next day, what with Happosai drinking my one chance to become a whole man again. I never should have yelled at you."  
  
"It's okay Ranma," Ukyo said. "I kind of wanted to talk to you about something-"  
  
"Sorry Ukyo, I see Akari over there and I need to talk to her," Ranma said as he walked away from her.  
  
"Sure it's no problem," Ukyo said to herself.  
  
===============  
  
Akari walked into the waiting room. Ranma was the first person to approach her.  
  
"How is he?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Ryoga's fine," Akari smiled tiredly, "He fell asleep after awhile but he woke up and sent me to get you."  
  
"Okay."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma knocked on the open door and walked in.  
  
"Hey man," Ranma said.  
  
"Hi," Ryoga replied.  
  
Ranma grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bed.  
  
"How're you feeling?" Ranma asked.  
  
"About as well as anyone can after getting shot," Ryoga smiled.  
  
Ranma looked at Ryoga and for the first time noticed the scars on his muscular chest.  
  
"Damn it Ryoga. I'm so sorry," Ranma said staring at the wall.  
  
"For what?" Ryoga asked, genuinely perplexed.  
  
"I didn't move out of the way. You got shot because I didn't move."  
  
"I only did what any friend would have done," Ryoga said, casting the subject aside. Friend, Ryoga thought, I just called myself Ranma's friend.  
  
Ryoga looked up and could tell Ranma was thinking the same thing.  
  
After everything that had happened between them, the fights, the insults, the anger. Saying that one word seemed to cast aside the massive problems between them.  
  
"Ryoga, did you mean that?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Yeah I guess I did," Ryoga answered.  
  
They sat in dead silence, neither really knowing what to say. A knock on the door brought both boys attentions to the doorway.  
  
"May I come in?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sure," Ranma and Ryoga said in unison.  
  
Akane walked in and sat down on the foot of the bed.  
  
Ryoga stared at her and she stared back. He knew what Akane wanted to talk to him about.  
  
"Ranma, why don't you go and take Akari to the cafeteria and get her something to eat," Ryoga suggested quietly. Ranma gazed at Ryoga. Ryoga nodded solemnly and Ranma got up and left.  
  
"Are you feeling okay Ryoga?" Akane asked. Her voice held genuine sympathy which surprised Ryoga.  
  
"Yes Akane, I'm doing fine thank you," Ryoga replied.  
  
Akane didn't say anything else except nod. She got off the bed and walked around it, sitting down in the chair previously occupied by Ranma.  
  
"Please forgive me Akane," Ryoga said, not meeting Akane's gaze. "I know there is no excuse for what I did."  
  
"No Ryoga," Akane shook her head. "I want to hear why you did it."  
  
"Um, are you sure?" Ryoga asked shyly. Akane nodded so Ryoga went on. "I guess I did it because I l...l...loved you."  
  
Ryoga shifted uncomfortably as he felt Akane's eyes on him. He tried to sit up but he couldn't do it so Akane helped him.  
  
"And that was the reason me and Ranma always fought. We would fight over you but on my behalf, I want to tell you that not all the times we fought were because of you. Were rivals, we'll always fight, hell we will fight over just about anything," Ryoga told her. He felt absolutely miserable and depression soon began to build in him.  
  
"But why Ryoga, did you pose as my pet?" Akane asked.  
  
"Akane," Ryoga began, "I have been alone for almost my entire life. Never able to find where I'm going, never seeing any of my loved ones. Then all of a sudden I find you. You were the first person to ever be nice to me. I fell in love with you the instant you kissed me. Even though I was in pig form, I felt loved for the first time in my life, and I was happy. So I stayed as your pet, it was wrong, I admit that, but it I was so happy to be near you."  
  
"So you slept with me, lied to me, and watched me get undressed."  
  
"No! Never!" Ryoga shouted. "I never once watched you get undressed, if there's one thing I'm proud of that's it!"  
  
Akane nearly smiled when she heard him say that. Ryoga was so much like Ranma in some ways.  
  
"Listen, don't take this out on Ranma. Because he was the one who knocked me into the spring, Ranma felt honor-bound to keep the secret from everyone," Ryoga explained.  
  
The depression building within Ryoga was almost at its breaking point.  
  
"Okay Ryoga, what you did was wrong, betraying my friendship and lying to me. I am hurt by what you did and it will take me awhile to trust you again, but I don't hate you."  
  
Ryoga looked up at Akane, his eye's shone from moisture.  
  
"I can forgive you," Akane said.  
  
"Really?" Ryoga asked in a quiet voice.  
  
"Yes," Akane smiled. "Ryoga your one of my best friends, if it wasn't for you Ranma would have died back there. You saved the man I love and I thank you for that," Akane bowed her head slightly.  
  
"Does Ranma know how you feel?" Ryoga asked, smiling.  
  
"Yes," Akane answered. "And only Ranma, you, and Akari know that, and I would prefer to keep it a secret from everyone else, I don't feel like getting married tomorrow."  
  
Ryoga smiled at her and looked out the window in his room. Akane grasped his hand and he turned back to face her.  
  
"I guess now I know why you asked me to tell you I hate you when you were learning the Shi Shi Hokodan," Akane said. She leaned forward and kissed Ryoga on the cheek.  
  
Ryoga blushed but still kept his eyes on Akane.  
  
"Do you remember what else I said?" Akane asked. "That no matter what happened we would always be friends."  
  
Akane released Ryoga's hand and walked to the door.  
  
"I still believe that Ryoga, and I hope you do to," Akane said over her shoulder before leaving.  
  
===============  
  
Author's notes: Thanks to everyone that has been writing reviews, it is very nice to hear the opinions of people that read your stories.  
  
I am a soldier, currently in the grade of Lieutenant Colonel, and I was just presently serving in India. I was a soldier during the Gulf War, and I received two Purple Hearts, as well as some other medals and ribbons. I will be using my experiences within the army to help this story progress, as the story will become more military oriented later on.  
  
I hope everyone has been reading the story and liking it. 


	5. Reunion

Volume 1 Chapter 5 Reunion  
  
Ryoga's first three days in the hospital were very eventful. The staff at the hospital was amazed at the amount of visitors Ryoga had. Ryoga was quite surprised when Soun came in and thanked Ryoga for his part in saving Akane and Ranma; Ranma was quite adamant about how he would never need the help of a directionless jerk like Ryoga which earned him a quick trip home with the assist of Akane's fist. Ryoga was quite embarrassed when Nodoka came in and made the declaration that Ryoga would forever be a part of her family for as long as she was concerned.  
  
Throughout the whole ordeal Akari was by his side. As soon as Ryoga was able to get the pick taken out of his arm and start taking his medication with a simple syringe, Akari had started sleeping in his bed. Ryoga and Akari didn't take notice to the comments that were floating around the ward that they had been having sex. But of course it was not true.  
  
Ryoga was a little weak from all the medication he was taking. But, with Akari's encouragement, Ryoga started to go on walks around the hospital with Akari.  
  
Ranma and Akane stopped by every day after school. Ranma and Ryoga were getting along like two best friends, if not for a few rough edges. Akane and Akari talked for hours on end for some visits, and both girls would always refuse to tell their two boyfriends what they would talk about.  
  
But it was during one of Ryoga and Akari's walks that something much unexpected happened.  
  
Ryoga and Akari had just left their ward when they ran into two people.  
  
"Mom, dad!" Ryoga shouted.  
  
"Oh Ryoga! We finally found you," Ryoga's father said.  
  
"How'd you guys know I was here?"  
  
"Well, I had made it back from grocery shopping and I found that your father had made it home as well. We were catching up when someone named Akane called and told us that you had had an accident and you were in the hospital. We left right away but we got lost. After a few days we found ourselves here," Ryoga's mom explained.  
  
"Well let's go back to my room, we have a lot of catching up to do," Ryoga said.  
  
"Sure," his father nodded. "Lead the way."  
  
"Um, Akari?"  
  
"Don't worry Ryoga, I'll busy myself with something," Akari reassured him.  
  
"Thanks Akari, but before you go could you show us where the room is again?" Ryoga asked shyly.  
  
===============  
  
At the Cat Café, customers were not being served by the usual cheerful, bouncy Shampoo. She greeted customers, took their orders, and left.  
  
When Cologne noticed that Shampoo's behavior was driving people away, she took Shampoo into the back room.  
  
"What's the matter?" Cologne asked.  
  
"N-Nothing," Shampoo replied.  
  
"Well than maybe you can explain why customers are leaving the restaurant by the dozens?"  
  
"Shampoo sorry," Shampoo said sadly. "Shampoo miss Ranma."  
  
"But you just saw him yesterday," Cologne said.  
  
"Is right but, Shampoo doing what you say and she not do what she usually do," Shampoo told her.  
  
"I have already explained to you that if you were to resort to your old ways, Ranma would simply become more and more distant from you."  
  
Shampoo nodded and got up to leave but not before muttering, "All Shampoo do is give pervert girl a chance to get closer to Ranma."  
  
Cologne waited until she was sure Shampoo had left before turning away.  
  
"It's exactly what your doing Shampoo, but it must be done."  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga and his parents chatted for a few hours. They asked him about what he had been doing in the past few months since they last saw him. He told them most of what he had been doing but left out significant parts that would only lead to a lot more questions.  
  
When they asked him why he was in the hospital in the first place, Ryoga lied to them and told them that he had contracted pneumonia. The pajamas that Akari had bought him covered the scars that were on his chest (Ryoga was quite pleased with the clothes considering they did not have any sort of pig motif that Akari usually went for).  
  
When his parents seemed to run out of questions Ryoga decided it was time to bring up a subject that he had been thinking about for quite a long time.  
  
"Mom, dad," Ryoga said. "I want to ask for your permission for something."  
  
"What is it son?" Ryoga's father asked.  
  
"I want to get married."  
  
Ryoga searched his parent's faces for some sort of reaction but was greeted by nothing.  
  
"I-I know I'm still kind of young but, I really love Akari," Ryoga told them. Ryoga's mother was the first one of his parents to react.  
  
"This Akari is the girl you were out in the hall with right?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Ryoga nodded.  
  
"Are you sure you've thought this all out? I mean, where are you two going to live?" his father asked.  
  
"Actually, I was thinking of finding a place in Nerima," Ryoga told them.  
  
"Where are you going to hold the wedding?"  
  
"I asked Mr. Tendo if we could hold it in the Dojo and he said it would be okay."  
  
Ryoga's parents turned away from him and whispered to each other. Finally they turned around and his father spoke.  
  
"Well son, if this is what you really want then, we support you."  
  
Ryoga jumped up from his bed and gathered up his parents into a fearsome hug.  
  
"What's going on?" Akari asked from behind them.  
  
Ryoga released his parents and turned to look at Akari.  
  
"Sorry," Akari apologized, "But Ryoga's doctor says he has to take another walk."  
  
Ryoga looked at his parents. They smiled at him and nodded.  
  
"Its okay son, we've got to be heading back anyway. Oh, and once you two figure out a date, call my office and they will give you my cell number," Ryoga's father smiled.  
  
"Figure out a date for what?" Akari asked.  
  
"Uh nothing," Ryoga said as he grabbed Akari's hand and led her out of the room.  
  
He smacked right into Ranma as he exited the room.  
  
"Ranma!" Ryoga said loudly. "Just the guy I wanted to see."  
  
Ryoga grabbed Ranma by the collar and led him away. As soon as they were out of earshot, Ryoga whispered to Ranma.  
  
"I need a favor."  
  
===============  
  
"What's up with Ryoga?" Akane asked.  
  
"I don't know," Akari shrugged. "Ryoga's parents were in there and-"  
  
"Wow, they found their way here fast," Akane interrupted.  
  
"Yeah," Akari agreed, "And when I walked into the room Ryoga was really happy about something and his dad said to call him when we figure out a date."  
  
"A date? A date for what?" Akane asked.  
  
"That's what I asked," Akari said. "But when I asked Ryoga he simply said that it was nothing."  
  
"I wonder what it is." Akane wondered aloud. She glanced over to where Ryoga had pulled Ranma and saw Ryoga seemingly explaining something to Ranma in great detail. Ranma was listening intently.  
  
Akari followed Akane's eyes to the two martial artists and saw Ryoga hand Ranma a thick wad of cash. Ranma nodded and dashed off as Ryoga turned and walked back to them with a big grin on his face.  
  
"Shall we finish my walk?" Ryoga asked them.  
  
"Sure," Akari said skeptically.  
  
Once they were in a generally empty ward, Akari's curiosity got the better of her.  
  
"So where'd Ranma go?"  
  
"Uh, he went.to.uh..do.me a favor," Ryoga said slowly, as if the words were just popping into his head.  
  
"What kind of errand?" Akane asked.  
  
"I.umm.needed some new.pants," Ryoga said. He mentally slapped himself for saying something so stupid.  
  
"You handed Ranma a lot of money though," Akari pointed out.  
  
"Yes that's because they're very expensive pants. Very exotic," Ryoga smiled. He began laughing very nervously as he placed his hand behind his head.  
  
You are the worst liar in the world Ryoga, Akari thought. She knew Ryoga couldn't lie worth a damn. He also had a strange habit of putting his hand behind his head and laughing like a child whenever he was caught making a lie.  
  
For the rest of the walk no one said anything. Akane knew Ryoga was lying as well but she knew it would be easier to get an answer out of Ranma instead of Ryoga.  
  
When they reached Ryoga's room they found Ranma returning as well.  
  
"Ranma! Did you get the pants!?" Ryoga asked loudly.  
  
"Huh," Ranma said.  
  
"Oh, they didn't have them did they, damn!" Ryoga cursed. He pushed Akane and Akari into the room and shut the door.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
"Look, never mind that, did you get what I asked for?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Your pants?"  
  
"No you idiot! I mean the other thing," Ryoga said.  
  
"Okay okay," Ranma said reaching into his pocket. He produced a small black velvet box and handed it to Ryoga.  
  
"Thanks Ranma, I owe you big. Did you get one like I described?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Don't worry, I got one that suits you," Ranma told him.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, when I first looked at it I seemed to get lost in its beauty," Ranma smiled. "Are you going to give it to Akari tonight?"  
  
"Yup, but remember we got to act normal, I don't want Akari to get suspicious of anything," Ryoga said.  
  
"Got it," Ranma nodded.  
  
"What are you two talking about?" Akane asked from the doorway, irritated.  
  
"Ranma and Ryoga spun around to face Akane. They both quickly tried to think of an answer.  
  
"Umm, we were just waiting for uh, Ryoga's doctor," Ranma said after a long silence.  
  
"It would make more sense if you waited in here," Akane told them.  
  
"Good point Akane, we should do that right Ryoga?"  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed loudly. "It makes more sense than standing out here like a couple of idiots."  
  
"They walked into the room, both laughing nervously. Ryoga sat down beside Akari on the bed and Ranma took a seat next to Akane on a couch they had taken from a spare room. Neither of them were meeting the girl's eyes. This did not escape the notice of neither Akane nor Akari.  
  
"What's going on?" Akari asked.  
  
"Yeah, you two are acting really weird," Akane agreed.  
  
"W-What makes you think that?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Well, for one thing, neither of you have been attempting to make any sort of conversation nor you haven't looked up from the ground since you got in here," Akari said.  
  
"Now what the hells going on between you two!?" Akane shouted.  
  
Ranma saw that the situation could easily turn into another episode of hurricane Akane. He saw there may be only one solution to the problem.  
  
"Umm, Akane I love you," Ranma said as he leaned in for a kiss.  
  
"Oh no, your not getting off thmfff."  
  
Akane could not finish what she was saying as Ranma came in for his kiss. He pulled Akane down on top of him as he lay down.  
  
Over on the bed Ryoga and Akari were mirroring the other occupants of the room's moves except Ryoga had not moved from his sitting position. A knock to the door brought everyone's attention to it.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, but we have to check Ryoga's stitching right now," the doctor said. Two nurses walked in and began running their procedure.  
  
First Ryoga's shirt was removed and they began to examine Ryoga's stitching. They rotated his arms and looked for any unnatural pulling on the scars. As they finished, one of the nurses left her hands on Ryoga's chest a little longer than usual. Akari scowled at the woman as Ryoga blushed.  
  
The doctor concealed his laughter until the nurses left and Akari stopped scowling.  
  
"You can't really blame her Miss Unryuu," the doctor smiled.  
  
"Just as long as she keeps her hands off of him," Akari said, scowling at the exit the nurse had used.  
  
The doctor kept smiling as he began a more thorough examination.  
  
Once he finished he patted Ryoga on the shoulder and handed him his shirt.  
  
"Well Ryoga, I don't see any reason for us to keep you here any longer."  
  
"Really?" Ryoga asked as he put his shirt back on.  
  
"Yes, you are in better shape than anyone in this hospital, including all of us on the staff," the doctor told him.  
  
"So I can get out of here tonight?" Ryoga asked happily.  
  
"The doctor raised his hands. "Whoa, not so fast, I'm going to keep you here overnight at least for precautionary methods. Tomorrow you will be discharged," the doctor explained.  
  
The doctor shot Ryoga the thumbs-up before turning around to walk out. Before he reached the door the doctor remembered something.  
  
"Oh, and before I forget, you'll need to get one last antibodies shot," he said, reaching into his pocket. He retrieved a syringe that contained a clear yellow liquid.  
  
"But the nurses told me that I've already received all my shots," Ryoga said.  
  
"Oh, well this one's just on precautionary measures."  
  
Ryoga shrugged it off and held out his arm. The doctor grasped his wrist and was about to insert the needle tip when Ranma spoke up.  
  
"This isn't going to make him drowsy is it?" Ranma asked skeptically.  
  
"Well, one of the side-effects to these shots is drowsiness."  
  
"Uh, doctor, I was planning on staying more or less sober for tonight. Can I just take the antibodies tomorrow?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Sure Ryoga, you can take it tomorrow," the doctor reassured him.  
  
"Thanks doctor," Ryoga said.  
  
The doctor bowed his head and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
"And why do you want to be sober tonight?" Akari asked.  
  
"Uhh, it would be rude to fall asleep with our guests still being here," Ryoga replied.  
  
Akari smiled and rubbed Ryoga's shoulder. "You're so considerate."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga both shared a look of exasperation.  
  
"Well Ryoga, what are you going to be doing once you get discharged?" Akane asked.  
  
===============  
  
After a few hours, Ryoga and Ranma were getting more and more edgy. They tried to break away from Akane and Akari but they kept getting pulled into conversations.  
  
As soon as it got dark out, Ranma started dropping hints that he wanted to leave.  
  
"It's getting pretty late," Ranma said as he faked a yawn.  
  
"What are you talking about, it only got dark about a half-hour ago," Akane said.  
  
"Yeah, but I've got a lot of homework and I'm already so far behind the rest of the class. Please Akane?" Ranma said in the cutest voice he could muster.  
  
Akane saw the pleading look in Ranma's eyes and bowed to the inevitable. She made a disgusted noise and walked out of the room to get her coat. She returned, muttering something under her breath.  
  
"Never worried about school before, don't see why he has to do his homework all of a sudden. Not that it'll do him any good," Akane muttered.  
  
"And what do you mean by that!?" Ranma yelled.  
  
"Exactly what I said," Akane replied.  
  
"Oh and I suppose your marks are so much better than mine," Ranma said incredulously.  
  
"Yeah they are! And they would be even higher if it wasn't that I was always being kidnapped and dragged away from home, by guys that have grudges against you."  
  
"Hey! That only happened once!" Ranma shouted. "And it wasn't always my fault," Ranma said.  
  
"Maybe if you stood in my shoes you would see things differently."  
  
"Why would I want to stand in some stupid tomboy's shoes?" Ranma asked as he stuck his tongue out at her.  
  
"You insult me now? Fine then, you can just walk home by yourself!" Akane yelled at her fiancée.  
  
Ranma couldn't help smiling as he watched Akane storm out of the room. It hadn't even taken five minutes to set her off. His smile faded as a hand came down on his shoulder and began squeezing it in a vice-like grip.  
  
"Rrraaannnmmaa!" Ryoga shouted. After watching what had just transpired between the two, Ryoga's rage was at the point where it was next to impossible to control.  
  
"Hey, calm down Ryoga," Ranma said, spinning out of Ryoga's hold.  
  
"Calm down!? Don't you think you could have found another way to do that!?" Ryoga yelled, his aura flaring.  
  
"That was fastest way I could think of!" Ranma yelled back.  
  
"What are you two talking about?" Akari shouted.  
  
Ryoga's aura abruptly died when he realized Akari was still in the room. He was about to apologize to her when Ranma started talking.  
  
"Akari, trust me, after tonight you are going to be thanking me for what I just did," Ranma said.  
  
Ryoga was about to pound on Ranma again for revealing more than he was supposed to, but he noticed that Ranma had run off through the door while he was thinking of ways to rip Ranma limb from limb.  
  
"Thank him, what's he mean by that?" Akari asked.  
  
Ryoga sighed and turned to face the girl he loved.  
  
"Nothin` Akari, lets grab a bite to eat from the cafeteria."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Some of the later chapters of this story were done by my wife, because at the time they were released, I was in India. I'll put a note at the end of each chapter that my wife did write.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I would like to thank everyone that has written a review. 


	6. An Unexpected Visitor

Volume 1 Chapter 6 An Unexpected Visitor  
  
Akane slowly made her way home. The streetlights were not working and she was bathed in darkness. Which fit her mood perfectly.  
  
"That idiot, that jerk," Akane said to herself as she stopped in the street and began to softly cry.  
  
"Akane," a soft voice spoke from behind her.  
  
Akane turned around and saw Ranma standing a few feet away from her. She quickly wiped the tears off her face and stopped crying. She did not want to see Ranma right now.  
  
"What is it Ranma?" Akane asked, hoping that he had not guessed that she had been crying.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ranma said closing the distance between them to about a foot. "I didn't mean what I said back in the hospital."  
  
"Then why did you say it?" Akane asked angrily  
  
"I-I can't tell you," Ranma said sadly.  
  
"Why can't you tell me?" Akane asked, getting irritated by Ranma's silence.  
  
"I promised Ryoga I wouldn't tell anyone," Ranma said, "You just have to trust me that I didn't mean what I said."  
  
Akane opened her mouth to respond but was cut off as Ranma began talking again.  
  
"I know what you're going to say, why the hell would you trust someone like me? All I do is insult you and lie to you. I admitted my love for you but here I am standing in front of you and I still have two other fiancées. You'd be better off if you had never met me," Ranma stated and turned to walk away.  
  
Akane spun him around and grabbed Ranma's collar, pulling his head down to face hers.  
  
"Now you listen to me Ranma Saotome!" Akane nearly yelled, inches from Ranma's face, "If you ever, and I mean ever, doubt my love for you, I will beat you into the ground so damn hard that you will never be able to walk again. I love you, Ranma, and nothing in the whole damn world can change that so accept it!"  
  
Ranma was speechless as he stared at Akane.  
  
"If I was ever given the choice between living my life the way it was before I met you, and living the way I have now, my decision would always be the same."  
  
Akane paused and let Ranma think about what she was about to say.  
  
"I can't imagine living my life without you. The way my life is now is way too perfect for words. There isn't anything I would like to change, except maybe a few meddling fiancées and crazy bokken wielding fools and his gymnast sister," Akane said smiling.  
  
Akane stared at Ranma and found that she could see moisture in his eyes. She realized that he wasn't about to cry out of sadness but happiness.  
  
"Akane I.I-"  
  
Ranma wasn't able to finish, as Akane had closed the distance between their faces and was now kissing him fiercely. Akane felt Ranma's hot tears roll down his face. She tasted the salty liquid and almost began crying herself.  
  
Ranma couldn't stop the tears that were now flowing freely from his eyes. He loved Akane so much and to hear her so openly return that love, it was too much for him.  
  
As they ended their kiss and began to part, the whole row of streetlights suddenly flickered on.  
  
They both started to laugh at the odd occurrence.  
  
"It must be a sign," Akane said as she wiped the tears from Ranma's face.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed as he turned away from Akane.  
  
"You don't need to try and hide the fact that you were crying Ranma," Akane told him. "If there is anyone in this entire world that should be able to cry, it would be you."  
  
"Sorry Akane," Ranma said, "It's just that I-"  
  
"What?" Akane interrupted. "It's not manly to cry."  
  
"No, I just thought that you would think I'm some kind of wuss or something," Ranma said, staring at the ground.  
  
Akane cupped Ranma's chin and brought his face up to meet hers.  
  
"Ranma, to cry without shame over our admittance of our feelings is manlier to me than you would think," Akane stated. She pulled his head down and kissed him, lightly on the mouth.  
  
Ranma took Akane's hand in his and began their walk home.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga and Akari returned from there late night snack in the cafeteria. Ryoga turned on the lights to his room and lay down on his bed, leaving enough room for Akari to lie down as well. He swung the mechanical arm around to in front of him. He switched the television on that was attached to the arm. Akari joined him on the bed and together they watched the television. Ryoga wrapped his arm around Akari and she lay her head down on his chest. Her arms were wrapped around his body and she was pressed tightly up against him.  
  
Akari rolled over Ryoga and got off the bed.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Nature calls," Akari smiled and winked at Ryoga as she stepped out of the room and into the washroom.  
  
Ryoga hopped out of the bed and removed the small velvet box he had hidden under a cushion on the couch.  
  
"Hookay, here goes," Ryoga said to himself. He shut off the television and pushed it aside. Next Ryoga switched off the light.  
  
"Perfect," he said. The room was bathed in darkness and the only light source was the window, from which Ryoga had positioned himself. Now all he had to do was wait for Akari.  
  
===============  
  
Akari gently opened the door; she began to walk out but stopped when she noticed that the room was pitch black. She stuck her head around the corner but couldn't make out any significant shapes.  
  
She cautiously slipped into the room. She relaxed when she saw Ryoga standing by the window.  
  
"Is there something wrong Ryoga?" she asked.  
  
"Come over here Akari," Ryoga said, motioning with his hand.  
  
Akari complied with his request and walked over to Ryoga. Ryoga's eyes followed her all the way.  
  
Neither of them said a word as Akari approached him. Ryoga outstretched his hands and Akari took them in hers.  
  
"Akari," Ryoga said, "I don't think I have ever told you just how much you really mean to me."  
  
Akari was not used to the seriousness in Ryoga's voice so she simply nodded her head.  
  
Ryoga smiled and kissed Akari.  
  
"You mean more to me than anything in the entire world. Before you, my life was simply one long depressing day. I was hateful and I didn't have any feelings of love that were returned to me from anyone, but when I met you, my whole life changed. There you were, willing to love me, and I found that I was constantly looking for ways to love you back. You are everything to me Akari."  
  
Ryoga went down to one knee and pulled the small ring box from out of his pocket.  
  
"I-I have waited a long time to do this Akari, and I hope you won't have changed your mind," Ryoga said.  
  
Akari began crying and went down to her knees, hugging Ryoga fiercely.  
  
"Of course I'll marry you, you big dummy," Akari smiled as tears flowed freely from her face.  
  
"You will?" Ryoga asked his voice cracking as he did so.  
  
"Yes!" Akari yelled as she drew Ryoga in for a kiss. Ryoga burst into tears as she said this and quickly returned her kiss.  
  
"Oh Akari, you've made me so happy," Ryoga whispered into her ear.  
  
Neither of them said anything else as they both silently cried as they held each other. After awhile they both stopped crying and slowly released each other. Ryoga opened the box and extracted the ring and slid up Akari's finger. Ryoga smiled as he watched Akari's eyes light up like Christmas lights. He got to his feet and helped Akari's to hers. They walked back to the bed, Ryoga got down first and Akari came down next, landing half on him and half off.  
  
"So when are we going to hold the wedding?" Akari asked as she wrapped her arms around Ryoga.  
  
"Hmm, I don't know," Ryoga admitted. "It should be on a date that gives us plenty of time to prepare and enough time for my parents to find their way there."  
  
"Where will we hold the wedding?"  
  
"I asked Mr. Tendo if we could use the Dojo and he said it would be okay with him," Ryoga said, "But we shouldn't be worrying about this stuff now Akari, we'll have plenty of time to think all this stuff through later."  
  
Akari yawned and nodded her approval. She nuzzled up against Ryoga and slowly drifted off to sleep. Ryoga stroked Akari's hair for awhile but sleep soon overtook him as well.  
  
===============  
  
As the hours rolled by, storm clouds formed over Nerima and as always happens in the small community, it rained. The storm did not wake the sleeping couple in the small hospital room, as they lay entangled in each others arms.  
  
The door to their room opened and someone slowly stepped in. He crept towards the bed that was occupied by the sleeping couple. There was a syringe in one hand and a small medical scalpel in the other. The needle tip was positioned just above Ryoga's elbow and when the intruder was about to dip the needle into Ryoga's arm, something struck him from behind and he was hurled against the wall. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.  
  
The noise woke Ryoga and Akari. Ryoga leapt from the bed to face the other occupant in the room.  
  
"Calm down Ryoga," the familiar voice said.  
  
"Seiji? What the hell are you doing here?" Ryoga asked in a sharp whisper.  
  
"I came to stop your doctor from killing you," Seiji said.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"The needle your doctor tried to give you last night was not filled with antibodies; it was some kind of tainted blood, maybe infected with aids. Look," Seiji said, "We don't have time to talk right now. Just grab some changes of clothes and follow me."  
  
Ryoga and Akari quickly complied with what Seiji said and followed him out to a car that was waiting. Inside the car were Ranma and Akane. They got inside and Seiji pulled away from the hospital.  
  
"What the hells going on Seiji?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"I'm sorry you guys but I seriously underestimated the amount of resources Toshi had in place. The Yakuza are after my head, someone tipped them off to my involvement in Toshi's death. By now they have all learned of your involvement and now it seems they are going to great lengths to try and eliminate you. I am terribly sorry but to stay here would be suicide. Your families should be safe and I am taking a lot of measures to try and make sure nothing happens," Seiji told them.  
  
"Where are we going to?" Akane asked.  
  
"China."  
  
"China!?" they all responded at once.  
  
"Yeah, it is the perfect place for us to go. I have far more resources there than here. We should be able to hide out rather easily there. This is also the perfect opportunity for me to repay Ranma and Ryoga for there services," Seiji said, a smile creeping onto his face.  
  
"Does this mean were going to..." Ranma couldn't finish the sentence as he was soon filled with a massive amount of joy.  
  
"Yes, were going to Jusenkyo."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This marks the end of the first volume. I decided not to name this volume the first time I wrote it because I could not come up with an appropriate name for it. I still have yet to think of one so I will leave it as is. I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I hope that everyone is reviewing. 


	7. Volume 2 Prologue Journey

Volume 2 Prologue Journey for the Cure  
  
Seiji parked the car near the airport. He turned around to look at the other occupants of the car.  
  
"So, aren't you guys happy?" Seiji asked them.  
  
"Yeah but, the last I heard, Jusenkyo was flooded," Ranma said.  
  
"Well, according to theses satellite photographs," Seiji said as he handed out the pictures, "Jusenkyo is back to normal."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked from each picture to the next.  
  
"These look real Ryoga," Ranma said. The pictures displayed some of the many springs that were back to their normal water level. One picture even showed the Jusenkyo guide running after some poor sap that was about to fall into one of the springs.  
  
Ryoga nodded his head in agreement and handed another photo to Ranma.  
  
"Now, if you'd all like to hurry, we have a plane to catch," Seiji told them as he cut power to the engine and pocketed the keys. He opened his door and stepped out as the others followed suit.  
  
"Well I guess that means we'll be landing in Xining right?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Nope," Seiji replied. "Were going to be landing in Beijing."  
  
"What!?" Ranma and Ryoga yelled in unison.  
  
"Seiji that's really far from Jusenkyo," Ryoga said.  
  
"I know, but we don't really have a choice in the matter," Seiji told them as he led them to the front foyer of the airport. "I don't have a clue just how close Toshi's assets are to finding us, and if we were to land right in Xining, they could easily track us straight to Jusenkyo."  
  
Seiji led them through the busy airport to the ANA (All Nippon Airways) terminals. He turned to them and handed out their passports and Visa's.  
  
"How the hell did you get these?" Ranma asked.  
  
"No need to worry about that right now, just go to the Nippon Airways terminals and hand these to the teller. When they ask if your seats are reserved, say yes and you are in a hurry. The special government insignia I have placed in them will get you through customs quite easily. I'll be waiting for you at the plane."  
  
"Wait Seiji," Ryoga said as he reached behind his back and extracted his umbrella. "Will I be able to take this thing on the plane?"  
  
"No, they've really been stepping up security over here so I'll just take that," Seiji said as he reached for the umbrella. Ryoga was about to warn him about the umbrella's massive weight, but before he could Seiji simply grabbed it from him and walked away.  
  
"I guess we should get going now," Akane suggested.  
  
As they approached the terminals Ryoga turned to Ranma. "How the hell was Seiji able to carry my umbrella?"  
  
Ranma smirked. "Looks like Seiji has a few more surprises than we thought."  
  
Ranma approached the terminal first and Akane followed him.  
  
"Hello," the attendant greeted.  
  
"Hey," Ranma greeted back.  
  
"How may I help you two?"  
  
"Were on a flight heading from Tokyo to Beijing," Ranma told her.  
  
"May I see your passports please?" she asked. Ranma handed over his passport. "May I have yours as well?" she asked, indicating Akane. Akane complied and stepped up beside Ranma.  
  
The attendant started to type at her keyboard. "Okay Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, your flight is scheduled for takeoff in 10 minutes, I think you will have to really move to make it on time. Your seats are pre-paid and pre-booked; you should be able to get through customs rather easily with your government passports."  
  
"Okay," Akane said. She turned to go but stopped. "What did you call us?"  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, why?" she asked confused.  
  
"Oh, you'll have to excuse my wife, we just got married and she isn't used to hearing that yet," Ranma said as he wrapped his arm around Akane's shoulders.  
  
"Well have a happy honeymoon then," the attendant smiled.  
  
"T-Thanks," Akane smiled nervously.  
  
"Thank you for flying Nippon Airways," the attendant called after them.  
  
Ranma and Akane ran jogged towards customs.  
  
"Seiji's got a real funny sense of humor," Akane said, not disguising the irritation in her voice.  
  
"Don't worry Akane, I'll get Seiji for that," Ranma said.  
  
Ryoga and Akari caught up to them as they were swept through customs easily. Their bags were checked and they each had to walk through medal detectors, but that was the limit to what security measures they were subjected to. Since Seiji had given them about a minute to pack, the only thing they had in their bags were clothes and some dental equipment.  
  
Seiji was waiting for them at the ticket checking booth near the flight entrance.  
  
"Did everything go all right?" Seiji asked as he handed them their tickets.  
  
"All except your little joke with me and Akane's passports," Ranma told him.  
  
"I only did that so you two could get through much faster," Seiji told them, while sporting a huge grin across his face. He led them past the gate and back outside; then up the staircase and into the plane. They boarded quickly and Seiji showed them to their seats and wished them a good flight and told them to try and get some sleep for they would have a very busy day tomorrow. Ryoga and Ranma were sitting together and Akane and Akari were across the aisle from them. He left them and took a seat further down the aisle, sitting beside someone they could not see.  
  
"This is pretty exciting stuff isn't it Ryoga?" Ranma asked as he strapped himself in. He reached forward and rifled through the magazines that had been supplied to him for the flight.  
  
"Yup," Ryoga agreed as he tilted his seat back and pushed his bandanna down to cover his eyes.  
  
"What, are you going to sleep?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Yup," Ryoga said again.  
  
Ranma shook his head and turned to look out the window.  
  
"Sun's comin` up," Ranma muttered. He turned and looked over to where the girls were seated. They seemed to be talking very adamantly about something. Ranma caught a reflection off of something on Akari's hand. He realized it was the ring.  
  
Ranma glanced down to look at the sleeping Ryoga. "P-Chan's getting married," he laughed as he tilted his seat back as well and soon drifted off to sleep.  
  
===============  
  
"Is Jusenkyo really that far?" Akari asked.  
  
"Yeah, all the way into China's Qinghai province," Akane told her.  
  
"Wow, aren't you worried about missing school?" Akari asked.  
  
"Well, I guess I am but, I wouldn't mind missing every single day of school if that meant I could be with Ranma when he finally gets cured."  
  
"Won't it be kind of boring hiking all that way?" Akari asked.  
  
"Don't worry about that Akari, were going to be planning your wedding the whole trip," Akane told her.  
  
"Oh, goodie," Akari said not very enthusiastically. She glanced across the aisle and looked at Ryoga. A smile spread across her lips as she watched his peaceful sleeping face. She turned back to Akane.  
  
"I can't really say that I'm looking forward to planning this Akane," Akari admitted.  
  
"Why's that?" Akane asked.  
  
"I think I would rather spend the time with my friends and fiancée."  
  
"I understand Akari, just tell me when you want to, and I'll help you with anything you want," Akane smiled. "Of course we could always wait until we get back, after all, my family and Ranma's are experts when it comes to setting up weddings in less than two days."  
  
Akari laughed and leaned her seat back, hoping that she could catch up on some missing sleep.  
  
As the plane began to taxi down the runway, a feeling of peace became over the four. Too bad the feeling will not last.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: The second volume will be containing more of the secondary characters in the Ranma ½ series. It is, in my opinion, a much better volume than the first one. I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I hope everyone has been reviewing. 


	8. Journey Chapter 1 Admissions

Journey Chapter 1 Admissions  
  
Kasumi made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The sun was just beginning to show itself and she needed to get breakfast ready. As she began to get all the ingredients out, Nodoka walked into the kitchen. She started to help Kasumi without a word spoken between them.  
  
"I hear that nice Ryoga boy is being released from the hospital today," Nodoka told her.  
  
"Well, we can make an extra special supper tonight then. Maybe we can invite some people over to," Kasumi suggested.  
  
Nodoka smiled very motherly at Kasumi. "I suppose one of the guests will be a certain doctor."  
  
A blush touched Kasumi's cheeks and she quickly tried to regain her composure.  
  
"Dr. Tofu is just a friend, Auntie Saotome," Kasumi said.  
  
"Hmm, I bet he is. Well then, I guess I'll just be the one to invite him over then," Nodoka said as she began to walk out of the kitchen.  
  
"No Auntie!" Kasumi nearly shouted. She realized what she had just said and tried to recompose herself. "I mean, I can invite the guests while you plan tonight's supper."  
  
Nodoka smiled knowingly at Kasumi and made her way back into the kitchen. "All right dear, if that's what you really want."  
  
Kasumi looked at Nodoka and nodded. They started back on breakfast without a word passed between them until Soun walked in.  
  
"Good morning you two," he greeted, not showing any signs of his knowing that he had risen almost an hour an a half earlier than he would usually.  
  
"Good morning Soun," Nodoka smiled. "I believe it would be too much to hope for if my husband were awake yet."  
  
"I'm afraid he is still sleeping Nodoka, and he shall probably remain that way until the sun has already raised itself high into the sky," Soun replied, a smile lighting up his face.  
  
"Yes, he has always been a late-riser. Oh well, he might as well stay in bed as of now, for if he were to wake he would be in here pestering us for some snacks," Nodoka told him.  
  
Soun smiled but didn't reply.  
  
"So what made you get up so early father?" Kasumi asked.  
  
"Oh nothing, just have some things to do today," Spun replied. A very goofy grin spread across his face as if he had just shared with himself a very funny joke.  
  
"Are you hiding something Soun," Nodoka asked.  
  
"Uh, no of course not, why would you ever think that I would be hiding something," Soun said. He realized he had not been very convincing and sighed his defeat.  
  
"Yes I do have a secret," Soun told them. "You must keep this a secret and not tell anyone, for I promised Ryoga I would not tell a soul," Soun paused and waited for them to nod. "Ryoga is going to ask Akari to marry him."  
  
Nodoka and Kasumi both gasped in surprise before nearly squealing with glee.  
  
"Oh how wonderful!" Nodoka and Kasumi both exclaimed.  
  
Soun was taken aback by their sudden outburst and took a step back as if fearing for his safety.  
  
"When are they having the wedding?" Nodoka asked.  
  
"I-I don't know," Soun stammered.  
  
"Do Ranma and Akane know about this yet?" Kasumi asked.  
  
"No, I don't think so," Soun admitted.  
  
"Akane should be returning from her jog right now," Nodoka said.  
  
"Well, I'll go meet her at the door and tell her," Kasumi told them as she left the kitchen. She was followed by Nodoka who turned in the other direction and went up the stairs to go tell Genma and Ranma.  
  
"Hey!" Soun yelled after them. "Didn't you hear me say you can't tell anyone!?"  
  
Soun went to go intercept Kasumi before she could relay the news to his youngest daughter. To his surprise he found Kasumi staring at a note pinned to the front door.  
  
"What's the matter Kasumi?" Soun asked, cautiously approaching her.  
  
Kasumi finished scanning the note and handed it to her father with one of the saddest expressions he had ever seen grace her pretty face.  
  
Soun took the note and began to read it.  
  
Dear Tendo's and Saotome's:  
  
I regret to inform you but, due to Ranma and Ryoga's involvement with my efforts to attack the growing drug problem in Japan, their lives, Akane and Akari's lives, and your own have been placed in jeopardy. I have enlisted the services of some close friends to ensure that nothing untoward will happen to your family. But for the Ranma and the others, their lives are in far more danger than I had once contemplated. Therefore I have removed them from Japan and to a place where their safety can be ensured. Once again I apologize for what has happened, this was never intended to happen. We shall contact you as soon as possible.  
  
Seiji Inafune  
  
===============  
  
Nodoka was walking back down the stairs after awakening her husband when she heard Soun emit a very loud wail. She ran to the front of the house where she found Kasumi comforting her father as Soun continued to cry.  
  
"What's wrong?" Nodoka asked.  
  
Kasumi handed the note over to Nodoka without a word except a very sad look.  
  
Nodoka read it quickly. She emitted a moan as she found she had lost the strength to stand. She had to place her hand on the wall to keep from falling over. When she spoke, her voice was filled with grief.  
  
"Oh Ranma."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma slowly awoke to the low drone of the aircrafts engines. He was a little nervous as anyone would after waking up in a very unfamiliar place. He sat up and gazed at the sleeping boy next to him. Ryoga was sleeping quite soundly. Ranma could hear the slow steady breaths he was taking. Ranma let his gaze wander across the aisle to where Akane and Akari were. Akari was reading a magazine and he saw that Akane was sleeping.  
  
"Hey, Akari," Ranma whispered as quietly as he could, "Would you mind switching places with me?"  
  
Akari looked over at Ranma and smiled. "Of course not Ranma, just as long as you have nothing perverted in mind."  
  
Ranma laughed quietly as he got up and switched places with Akari. Akari leaned over and winked at Ranma as he sat down. Ranma saw her snuggle up close to Ryoga and grab his discarded blanket to cover them.  
  
Ranma glanced over at Akane's sleeping form. She looked so cute; her face was the picture of contentment. Ranma, mimicking Akari's movements, wrapped his arms around her and brought her head to rest on his shoulder. He smiled to himself for doing all of that without waking Akane up. His smile faded as Akane began to move; she flipped over to face away from Ranma. Ranma nearly gasped as Akane moved. Due to the placement of his hands on Akane's back, his left hand was now cupping Akane's breast.  
  
Ranma, frozen in fear, forgot to remove his hand as Akane slowly awoke.  
  
"A-Akane," Ranma stuttered out.  
  
Akane looked back over her shoulder and smiled at Ranma. "Hello."  
  
"Uh hi," Ranma said.  
  
Akane looked down at her chest. "Ranma, how come you're over here?"  
  
"I uh, traded places with Akari," Ranma told her.  
  
"Okay and how come your hand is clutching my breast?" Akane asked in an oddly calm voice.  
  
Ranma realized he had still not moved his hand and quickly tried to pull it back but found that something was firmly holding it in its place. Akane was turning around and Ranma saw what was holding his hand in place. Akane's hand.  
  
"A-Akane?" Ranma asked questioningly, a blush spreading across his face. Akane raised a hand to her face and silently shushed Ranma. Though she was leading the way the situation was heading, Ranma could tell that she was big time blushing.  
  
"Akane, we can't possibly do this here," Ranma protested quietly, though his voice told that he would not mind continuing things from where it was heading.  
  
"We aren't Ranma; I just want to be with you right now. I want to tell you that I am not blaming you for what happened; I don't think it's your fault that we have to escape to China. You did what you thought was best and I know you did better than anyone else could have. I also want to apologize for all the times I've called you a pervert and knocked you through the roof without really hearing what you had to say. If I had only just listened to you," Akane said thoughtfully as she stroked his face.  
  
"Akane," Ranma said, a smile playing across his face. "The way you're acting makes me think that your trying to name yourself as the person responsible that things were stalled between us for so long. I took nearly every chance I could get to stall things between us. We are both responsible for the things that kept us from taking our relationship to a further level."  
  
Akane opened her mouth to protest, but Ranma silenced her with a shake of the head.  
  
"I can't believe how many times I've had a chance to admit my love for you and I would chicken out. Though I guess, in my own defense, I never really had a clear picture of my feelings for you," Ranma told her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Akane asked.  
  
Ranma looked thoughtful for a second; as if trying to choose his words carefully.  
  
"Akane, there have been times during our year and a half together, that I have felt so angry with you that I have actually entertained thoughts about leaving Nerima altogether."  
  
Akane looked very hurt as Ranma said this, and a look of self- condemnation crossed her face.  
  
Ranma saw this and quickly tilted her chin so she was facing him. "And then there have been times where I have been so damn hot that I have come so close to going into your room at night and getting into your bed."  
  
Akane looked shocked, Ranma smiled and gently closed her mouth which had been hanging open.  
  
"H-How close have you come to going into my room?" Akane asked shakily.  
  
"I've had to stop myself from turning the handle all the way on your door," Ranma told her. "I never really had the guts to actually go into your room. I always thought that you would just pitch me out the window as soon as you saw me."  
  
"Maybe not," Akane said quietly.  
  
Ranma felt like he was doing way too much talking and decided it was about time Akane started telling him these things.  
  
"So when did you realize that you loved me?" Ranma asked her.  
  
Akane was taken aback by Ranma's bluntness and the shock was clear on her face. "I-I don't know."  
  
Ranma nodded knowingly and began to turn away from Akane, removing his hand from her chest. Akane quickly spun Ranma back around and grasped his head so he was facing her.  
  
"Don't you go into some damn pit of despair Ranma," Akane said forcefully. "Just because I said I didn't have a clear idea when I fell in love with you doesn't mean I don't feel like I've loved you for my entire life. I want you to know that the first time I felt strong feelings for you was when I saw you naked in the bath on your first day coming home."  
  
Ranma didn't respond to what Akane said, instead he stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Akane was blushing furiously from admitting something like that in an airplane. She stared at Ranma and slowly leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. Ranma, breaking out of his stupor, instinctively kissed Akane back. As they pulled back, Ranma smiled.  
  
"Did you really feel that way when you saw me naked?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Yeah," Akane admitted shyly. "Didn't you ever wonder why I never even attempted to cover my chest with that towel?"  
  
"Well, no," Ranma said, a blush touching his cheeks as well. "Its okay Akane, when you're with the person that you want to spend your life with, you can let your feelings get the better of you."  
  
"The rest of your life?" Akane asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, when me and Ryoga were doing all that stuff for Seiji, Ryoga had come out of the blue and asked me if I could ever live my life without Shampoo."  
  
"And what did you say?" Akane asked, her voice holding a slight edge.  
  
"I told him yes," Ranma said. "Then he asked me if I could go my whole life without Ukyo. The answer was the same for what it was for Shampoo. Lastly, Ryoga asked me if I could life every day of my life without you Akane."  
  
Akane was hanging onto every single one of Ranma's words as if they were her lifeline. She slowly nodded her head and gazed at Ranma.  
  
"I thought to myself, could I go my whole life without you, never being able to see you or hear your voice, or never being able to touch you."  
  
Ranma paused for effect, and so he could fight back the tears that were threatening to escape.  
  
"I could never live my life without you Akane, every day that goes by that I'm not with you, your almost always on my mind. When I was fighting Herb and Saffron, you were my inspiration; you were what I was fighting for. I want to spend my life fighting for you Akane, if you'll let me."  
  
Akane threw her arms around Ranma as tears flowed freely from her eyes. She kissed Ranma deeply. As they parted Akane smiled at Ranma.  
  
"Remind me to thank Ryoga."  
  
===============  
  
"Its going to be okay father," Kasumi said as she tried to comfort the over emotional Soun.  
  
"How can it be okay!?" Soun shouted, "Akane is gone and there may be murderers after her."  
  
"But Ranma will be with her the whole time," Kasumi countered.  
  
"So! Ranma and Akane don't even get along together, how am I supposed to expect that they'll get along wherever their going. They hate each other!" Soun wailed. He did not actually believe what he was saying, he was simply ranting.  
  
"That's not true!" Nodoka screamed.  
  
Coming from Nodoka, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face the red-faced Nodoka.  
  
"Ranma and Akane do love each other Soun," Nodoka said, her voice still hovering between a shout. "I don't know how they possibly could be, after everything that they have been put through because of you and my husband. But they are."  
  
"And how do you know this Nodoka?" Genma asked.  
  
"Just let me call someone," Nodoka said as she walked to the phone. She lifted the receiver and dialed a number. All eyes in the room were on Nodoka as she waited for someone to pick up on the other end.  
  
"Hello, Dr. Tofu?" Nodoka asked. "Yes this is Nodoka; I need a favor, could you please come over to the Tendo's please. Thank you."  
  
Nodoka hung up the phone and turned to look at the other occupants of the room.  
  
"Now we wait."  
  
==============  
  
Author's Notes: This is the first chapter in the Journey series. The Journey series lasts about eleven chapters. I hope everyone is enjoying this story, and I would like to think that everyone is reviewing as well, for that would be greatly appreciated. 


	9. Journey Chapter 2 Joint Concession

Journey Chapter 2 Joint Concession  
  
Dr. Tofu walked to the Tendo household. He carried a thick folder; Ranma's name could be seen on it. He was greeted by Nodoka at the door, they exchanged greetings and she led him into the breakfast room where everyone else was situated. Tofu smiled for them and thanked them for inviting him over, he was thankful that Kasumi seemed to be out for the moment. He let his folder drop to the table with a loud thud. He sat down, opposite from Soun and Genma, he was flanked by Nabiki on his right and Nodoka on his right. He cleared his throat and began.  
  
"Before we touch the subject on why you called me over, I have a much more serious problem to bring you," Tofu told them. "That is Ranma Saotome's health."  
  
Tofu quickly checked to make sure he had everyone's attention before he went on.  
  
"For the past few month's I have been going over every medical record I have on Ranma. I must tell you that I was quite surprised with what I found. Ranma has more medical entries than a seventy year old man," Tofu said gesturing to the folder. "I realize that this is because Ranma is a lot more active than anyone else his age, except maybe Ryoga. But I do feel that Ranma is under way more stress than any normal human being can endure. Having three fiancées and having people want him in his cursed form must be very stressful."  
  
"When his mother first arrived after ten years, he had to hide from her in fear that she would reject him and find him unmanly. The thought of being rejected by your own mother is very unsettling I must say, coupled with the fact that Ranma's curse most obviously makes him a little insecure about his manliness."  
  
Tofu looked over at Nodoka and saw that she was staring hard at the table, most likely fighting back the tears that threatened to escape. Genma was looking oblivious as usual.  
  
"I regret to say this but based on my own medical opinion, Ranma is headed for a breakdown."  
  
Everyone in the room gasped, even Genma. Tofu inwardly smiled, maybe he was finally beginning to see the seriousness here.  
  
"I hope you all are taking me quite seriously now, because what I'm going to say next I'll need your full attention. Ranma is showing signs of someone who has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He has had more emotional blows than any of us would really like to know. Some of us know exactly what this sort of disorder can do to a person, and I'm sure they would rather that not happen to Ranma," Tofu said, sparing a quick glance at Soun. "I would like to tell the rest of you that are unfamiliar with this just what can and most likely will happen."  
  
"Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric illness that can occur following a traumatic event where there is risk of injury to you or someone close to you. PTSD may occur soon after a major trauma, or can be delayed for up to six months. When it occurs right after the event, it will usually last about three months, but in some cases it has lasted for years."  
  
"PTSD can occur at any age and can follow natural disasters such as fire, floods, or hurricanes. Events such as war, imprisonment, assault, domestic abuse, and rape can cause PTSD to occur as well. No one knows just what exactly causes PTSD, but psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors are involved. PTSD alters the body's response to stress by affecting stress hormones and neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit information between our nerves). Previous exposure to trauma may increase the risk, which suggests that this kind of a reaction may be a learned response."  
  
Tofu paused, and looked around the room to make sure that everyone was following him at this point. He saw he had everyone's full attention so he continued.  
  
"Having good social support helps to protect against developing PTSD. People with PTSD re-experience the event over and over in at least one of several ways. They may have recurrent distressing dreams and recollections of the event, a sense of reliving the experience or flashbacks, and or become very distressed around the time of events that symbolize the event."  
  
"Symptoms that occur with this illness are, reliving the event, which disturbs day to day activity, flashback episodes, where the event seems to be recurring, and bodily reactions to situations that remind them of the traumatic event. There's avoidance, Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma, lack of interest in normal activities, feelings of detachment, sense of having no future, emotional "numbing", or feeling as though they don't care about anything, and reduced expression of moods. Arousal, irritability or outbursts of anger, sleeping difficulties, difficulty concentrating, exaggerated response to things that startle them, hyper vigilance."  
  
"The most prominent symptom with PTSD is guilt or "survivor guilt". This is generally a feeling that they survived and the other person didn't or it should have been me that was killed. There are no tests that can be done to make the diagnosis of PTSD. The diagnosis is made based on a certain set of symptoms that persist after a history of extreme trauma."  
  
Tofu finished and took a few deep breaths, saying everything he had said really took it out of him. He looked at everyone else. The usually calm Nabiki looked quite shaken. Nodoka looked like she was about to break down into tears. Soun, being a sufferer from the disease already was very deep in thought. Genma himself looked like he was thinking very herd.  
  
"I realize this has been a very large blow to you, but this had to be put out in the open. Ranma is a very special child, but if things continue the way they are, he's going to either become very depressed or very violent. I don't need to tell you what might happen if Ranma were to lose control of his mind and suddenly become violent. I think Tokyo would be destroyed within seconds."  
  
"Another matter has been brought towards my attention, and I am only telling you this because I think it might help Ranma from experiencing a breakdown. I've told Nodoka already but I held off telling you two," Tofu said, indicating Soun and Genma, "At least until you heard what I needed to say. When Ranma and Ryoga were taken to the hospital, I had played the nosey doctor and was listening in on Ranma and Akane's conversation in Ranma's room. The conversation seemed heated and I was going to barge in just in case it turned violent, but just as I was about to, Ranma shouted out that he loved Akane. Needless to say I was quite shocked to hear him make such a proclamation and to proclaim it so loudly. I didn't hear Akane's response but I already think I know what it was because they exited the room hand-in-hand."  
  
Tofu read everyone's faces again and saw a complete turn around. Soun and Genma were weeping in each others arms yelling how their schools would finally be joined. Nabiki had a small grin spread across her face and you could almost see the gears turning in her head at how much yen she could make by leaking this information.  
  
"Wait just a minute," Tofu said. He waited until everyone brought their attention back to him. "This is exactly the reason why I did not tell you people sooner. Did you forget what I just said five minutes ago. This is Ranma's life on stake here and all you're thinking about is yourselves!"  
  
"Soun!" Tofu shouted standing on his feet, "You of all people should know just what could happen to Ranma if he is suffering from PTSD, and I would like to think that you would not want him to suffer what you went through when your wife died!"  
  
Next he pointed at Genma. "You are a very pitiful man Genma Saotome, you are the reason most of the crap that has happened to Ranma occurred. You've come closer to destroying a child than anyone I can ever think of. But somehow Ranma came out like a good kid that is fighting for his life and his sanity and all you can think about is how this will affect you."  
  
Tofu turned to Nabiki. "I hope you realize young lady that if you do leak this information over the town you will single-handedly destroy Ranma's life. And if you can do something like that then I pity you."  
  
Tofu took a few shaky breaths as he tried to let the anger cool off. He didn't want to face anyone in this room. But he turned to Tendo first.  
  
"I'm sorry for bringing your wife into this Soun."  
  
"It is alright doctor, you said what needed to be said. I do know what would happen to Ranma but instead I just started thinking about myself. I will help Ranma in every way possible so he does not end up like me," Soun said, a look of determination cross his face.  
  
Tofu looked at Genma. He didn't have any apologies for this man. But to his surprise Genma spoke up.  
  
"I am sorry as well Dr. Tofu, my behavior was childish and unbecoming of a martial artist."  
  
Tofu nodded. "Your words are more than enough Genma, and I thank you."  
  
Tofu took a deep breath, and started laughing. "It has been quite a morning has it not?"  
  
"Yes," Nodoka agreed, "Quite a morning."  
  
Tofu looked around. "So where is Ranma anyways, did he and Akane leave for school already?"  
  
"No doctor, I don't think Ranma's going to be at school for awhile," Nabiki said.  
  
"What does that mean?" Tofu asked her.  
  
"I think you should sit down for this Dr. Tofu," Soun suggested.  
  
"Why? What's going on?"  
  
Nodoka reached into her pocket and produced a note that she handed to Tofu. Tofu quickly scanned it and nearly collapsed.  
  
"Oh my god," he breathed. He took a few moments to collect himself. "Have they called yet?"  
  
"No doctor, were still waiting," Genma told him.  
  
Tofu took his seat and set his head down upon the table. He said prayer that he could help Ranma before it was too late.  
  
===============  
  
"Are you here for business or pleasure Mr. Hibiki?"  
  
"Pleasure," Ryoga replied. The ANA attendant smiled at him and handed back his passport and government Visa.  
  
"Enjoy your visit Mr. Hibiki," she smiled once more for Ryoga before calling for the next person in line.  
  
"So where are we going now?" Ryoga asked once joining the others.  
  
"To Jianguo hotel, that's where will be staying for today, we'll move out around midnight and drive south to Taiyuan." Seiji told them. "I have Minoru waiting for our arrival in Xining, preparing things for our arrival. Ishii is to meet us here and take us to the hotel where you guys can relax and call your families."  
  
"Will you be coming with us Seiji?" Akane asked.  
  
"I will accompany you on your hike into the Bayankala range but as for the drive down there, you will have Ishii with you as I have a few more matters that require my assistance," Seiji told them.  
  
"Sounds great," Akari said.  
  
"Everything's been taken care of then," Ryoga said to Akari.  
  
"Looks like it," Akari replied.  
  
"Are you going to be okay with this Akari?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Akari asked.  
  
"Well, uh, I know how you love pigs and all," Ryoga said.  
  
Akari shook her head. "Ryoga, do you like turning into a pig?" He shook his head. "Well whatever you don't like I don't like. If you want to get rid of your curse forever, than I'm going to support you for as long as I can."  
  
Ryoga smiled at her and managed to look a little embarrassed.  
  
Akari smiled back and took his hand in hers as they followed the others outside. They found Ishii waiting for them outside dressed up in a limo driver's outfit. They exchanged greetings.  
  
"What's with the getup?" Ranma asked.  
  
"I thought it would be better for us to actually look like we fit in instead of acting like tourists. The Chinese intelligence service has been far more interested in tourists than actual government type people. This way we ensure that our rooms will not be bugged and they will for the most part leave us be," Seiji explained.  
  
They climbed into the car and Ishii pulled away from the airport. Ranma marveled at how crowded the city seemed to be. He had thought that Japan was crowded but China was much worse. Ranma recalled how the PRC (People's Republic of China) instituted a law to help control the population. One child per family. He didn't really understand why they did something like that. China's a big country, even with Taiwan declaring its independence. Why wouldn't they just start moving people inland.  
  
Because if they did, Jusenkyo and things like the Phoenix people would be discovered and receive worldwide attention, Ranma realized. And that wouldn't do anyone any good.  
  
Ranma could only imagine what would happen if some country had an army of men that had been dumped into the Niu Ho Man Maolen Niichuan spring (the spring Pantyhose Taro was dipped in).  
  
As the car stopped at an intersection, Ranma watched as at least a hundred people crossed the street.  
  
So many people, Ranma thought. He recalled the second part of the law, about what happens when a family has a second pregnancy, one not authorized by the state. Ranma couldn't imagine being the person that had to stick the syringe filled with formaldehyde into the babies head, and then crush the skull, as the baby is about to take it's first breath.  
  
Akane, seeing Ranma's troubled expression, grasped his hand in her's and squeezed it. Ranma turned and looked at Akane and smiled. Another thought instantly popped into his head.  
  
What would happen if someone tried to kill me and Akane's child? Ranma asked himself. Nothing good I bet.  
  
Ranma blushed a little, realizing he had just thought about having children with Akane. He turned his head and returned his gaze to the passing scenery, not releasing Akane's hand.  
  
What a crazy damn world, he thought.  
  
==============  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter took a little longer to do than I thought. I contacted a friend of mine that's a psychologist and she explained to me the symptoms and other ill effects that will occur when someone is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She was a great help. Thanks Samantha. 


	10. Journey Chapter 3 Morning Visit

Journey Chapter 3 Morning Visit  
  
Shampoo sighed dejectedly and walked into the Cat Cafe. She sat down heavily on a chair and muttered something under her breath as Cologne approached her.  
  
"What is the problem granddaughter?" Cologne asked.  
  
Shampoo looked up and shrugged her shoulders. "I not know."  
  
"Oh come now Shampoo, you should know by now that I can easily tell when you are lying to me. Now tell me what's really wrong."  
  
"Shampoo miss Ranma great-grandmother," Shampoo said.  
  
"Why is that? You just saw him yesterday didn't you?" Cologne asked her.  
  
"Yes but, Ranma does not treat Shampoo like he normally do," Shampoo told Cologne. "Ranma used to treat Shampoo like more than friend but now he treats Shampoo just like normal person."  
  
"Is there something really wrong with that?" Cologne asked, knowing what the answer would be.  
  
"Of course!" Shampoo cried. "Shampoo love Ranma, and he doesn't love Shampoo. Instead Ranma love stupid pervert girl Akane."  
  
"You know this for sure?"  
  
"Yes," Shampoo answered sadly, "I see the way Ranma fight for Akane at Jusendo, he fought with love and determination, and he fought for Akane. He always fight for Akane, never Shampoo."  
  
"I would be interested in hearing just what Ranma and Saffron's fight was like," Cologne told her.  
  
Shampoo's face suddenly became very soft; as if she was describing something that she would much rather forget.  
  
"Oh, you should have seen him fight great-grandmother, he was beautiful. It was the most magnificent fight I had ever seen, it also worst fight Shampoo ever seen too."  
  
Shampoo began to softly cry. Cologne did not move to comfort her or to shake her out of her foolishness. Cologne still held some of her Joketsuzoku tribal beliefs and sympathy was not an emotion to be displayed openly. Neither was weakness, but it seemed Shampoo had forgotten that.  
  
"Does this mean you are giving up on Ranma?"  
  
"Shampoo no know, maybe Ranma realize Shampoo is truly better and come to Shampoo."  
  
"I would not bet on that Shampoo," Cologne told her. "Beauty and brains do not always sway a man's heart. Ranma especially; you know as well as everyone else that Ranma could rival any woman in this world for beauty in his cursed form. He is also one of the most powerful martial artists in the world. So I do not know just what it is that has made Ranma fall in love with Akane, but I don't doubt for one second just how strong that love is."  
  
Shampoo silently wept when Cologne finished talking. Her shoulders shook continuously as each sob extenuated throughout her body.  
  
"Shampoo, would you be willing to go back to China without having Ranma?" Cologne asked.  
  
Shampoo shrugged her shoulders. "What Shampoo supposed to do if she no has Ranma? What will happen to Shampoo if she does not come back with Ranma?"  
  
"At the worst exile," Cologne said.  
  
"Exile!" Shampoo shrieked.  
  
"Calm down, that would only happen if every member of the council feels that you have failed in your quest. I don't think I need to remind you that I am the matriarch of our village, so I carry a great amount of sway in the votes. Another factor working in your favor is what happened when we first thought you had failed to uphold out laws. Your trip to Jusenkyo for failing to kill Ranma was a mistake on the council's part. So with all of these things working in your favor, the worst you'll probably get is a loss of status for a year and forced labor."  
  
"That not so bad," Shampoo said.  
  
"Having your hair cut to shoulder length and having to do menial tasks is quite a bargain in our tribe Shampoo. You should consider yourself lucky that you're getting off so lightly," Cologne told her.  
  
"Does this mean we be going home soon?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"No," Cologne shook her head, "I don't think we should leave just yet. Not with all the stuff that has been transpiring with Ranma and Ryoga. Also, I kind of like it here."  
  
Shampoo smiled. "Yes, this place grows on you."  
  
"Come child; let us depart for the Tendo household."  
  
===============  
  
"Wow! This suite is huge," Akane said she walked into their hotel room.  
  
"You wouldn't think that I would stifle you guys and go for some second rate hotel did you," Seiji laughed. "This is the Jianguo hotel chain, top hotel in Beijing I always said."  
  
"Really?" Akari asked as she walked in, admiring the view.  
  
"Now," Seiji said, clasping his hands together. "How about you guys go and unpack and then you can call your families."  
  
Akane seemed elated at that idea and rushed into a room and dumped the contents of her suitcase onto the bed and dashed for the phone.  
  
Seiji turned and looked at Ranma. "And here all this time you've been calling her slow."  
  
Akane quickly asked the desk to put her through to Tokyo. She dialed her number and waited as the phone rang.  
  
She only had to wait a few rings before someone picked up.  
  
"*Hello, Tendo residence.*"  
  
"Kasumi! Its Akane," Akane said happily into the phone.  
  
"*Akane! Where are you? Is everything okay? Why did you leave in the middle of the night?*"  
  
Akane laughed as Kasumi launched a hundred questions her way.  
  
===============  
  
Over in Nerima it was pure confusion at the Tendo house. Everyone was standing around Kasumi asking her questions as she asked Akane questions who in turn could only laugh.  
  
"Are they safe Kasumi? Where are they?" everyone asked.  
  
Kasumi turned around and gave them a little smile. "That is what I am asking her right now."  
  
She turned back to the phone and waited for Akane to stop laughing.  
  
"*I'm sorry Kasumi, that was just really funny. Everyone is fine over here.*"  
  
"And where is here?" Kasumi asked.  
  
There was a long pause before Akane spoke again. "*Kasumi, I can tell you where we are but I wont be able to tell you where were going. Were in Beijing*"  
  
===============  
  
Back in the hotel room, Ranma, Ryoga, and Akari were determining the sleeping arrangements.  
  
"Akane and I will take this bed, and you and Akari can have the bed in the other room," Ranma said.  
  
Ryoga shook his head. "No way Ranma, if for some reason you want this bed, then there's got to be some way that it is better than the other one."  
  
"Ryoga," Ranma said gently, "I thought that since we've decided to become friends, you were going to try and stop thinking that I'm always out to ruin your life."  
  
The conversation went downhill from there and the two soon began to fight. Akari poked her head into the room and smiled.  
  
"May I ask you guys something?" Akari asked.  
  
"Sure," they both replied, releasing each other from the headlocks they had previously placed each other in.  
  
"Why do you think that Akane and I are going to sleep with you?"  
  
Ranma and Ryoga stared at her, mouths agape.  
  
"But in the hospital-" Ryoga started.  
  
"That was then Ryoga," Akari interrupted him. "I think sleeping in the same bed would do you two some good."  
  
"That's right," Akane said, walking into the bedroom. "You two obviously still have some problems that need some working out and maybe sleeping together will help that."  
  
Ryoga looked over at Ranma and saw the same horrified expression that must have been on his own face.  
  
"Are you finished with the phone now?" Ranma asked, irritably.  
  
"Yeah, but Seiji wanted to talk to our parents about something or other," Akane told him.  
  
Ranma shrugged and left Ryoga to try and reason with the girls. He found Seiji sitting in a chair by the phone with a grave expression on his face.  
  
"I understand doctor, I will talk to the others about that and maybe we can get him some help but, we are going to be moving very fast the next few weeks and what we do get him probably wont be of much help."  
  
Seiji turned and saw Ranma. "Alright doctor Ranma just walked in so I'm going to have to go. Thank you for telling me all this," Seiji turned and looked at Ranma. "You can talk to your family now Ranma."  
  
Seiji handed Ranma the receiver and said he was going for a walk to clear his mind. Ranma thumped down on the chair Seiji had previously occupied.  
  
"Hello," he said into the receiver.  
  
"*Ranma?*"  
  
"Hey mom," Ranma said in a way of greeting.  
  
"*Are you really in Beijing?*" Nodoka asked.  
  
"Yeah mom, we got in about two hours ago."  
  
"*Are you okay?*"  
  
"Fine," Ranma breathed. "How is everything over there?"  
  
Nodoka's laugh could be heard. "*You're father and Soun are taking it upon themselves to get drunk beyond normal comprehension. Nabiki is getting ready for school, and I was finally able to convince Kasumi and Dr. Tofu to go out on a little date.*"  
  
Ranma chuckled into the phone. "Oh man, I sure hope that Dr. Tofu doesn't have any patients today."  
  
"*Why is that?*" Nodoka asked, confused.  
  
"Because whenever Dr. Tofu sees Kasumi he kind of loses control over whatever rational thoughts he might have had. He dances around and starts saying really weird things."  
  
"*That reminds me of how your father acted the first time he asked me out on a date,*" Nodoka laughed.  
  
"I'm never going to understand how you could have gotten married to a guy like pop," Ranma said.  
  
"*I suppose I could ask you why you're in love with a girl that hits you all the time, and you constantly insult?*" Nodoka asked gently.  
  
"I-I don't love Akane," Ranma protested. His attempt at sounding convincing failed miserably.  
  
"*Oh, of course Ranma,*" Nodoka said.  
  
Ranma realized his mother didn't believe him and no matter what he could come up with, she still wouldn't believe him.  
  
"Never mind," Ranma said, shaking his head to clear it. "Now, can I ask you something?"  
  
"*Go right ahead son,*" Nodoka said.  
  
"Why are pop and Mr. Tendo getting drunk at six-thirty in the morning?"  
  
Ranma could hear the silence on the other end.  
  
"*I'm sorry Ranma, I just realized I've got breakfast on the stove and I still have to clean the house,*" Nodoka said hurriedly.  
  
"Wait, mom why are they drinking?!" Ranma shouted.  
  
"*Sorry Ranma, got to go. I love you,*" the line clicked.  
  
Ranma sighed and replaced the receiver. "I love you too mom."  
  
===============  
  
Nodoka sighed as she walked into the kitchen. She hated lying to her son, but telling him that Soun and Genma were having a celebration (making the sure that no one outside the house found out about it, as was Dr. Tofu's orders) due to their children's proclamation of love for each other, would not bode well with Ranma.  
  
It's so strange, Nodoka thought. Ever since she had finally met her son, and come to live with the Tendo's, her life had been more eventful in the few months she had lived there, than in the last decade. She was also much happier than she had previously been. Being reunited with her son and husband was something anyone would be happy to be. Her husband was still the man that she had married. The fact that he now turned into a panda didn't really make a difference, besides, he acted more like himself in panda form.  
  
Nodoka was snapped from her thoughts when she heard someone knocking on the door. She rushed to go answer it.  
  
"Shampoo, what a wonderful surprise," Nodoka said once opening the door.  
  
"Nihao Mrs. Saotome," Shampoo said, her voice not as enthusiastic as it traditionally was. "Shampoo hope you no mind we come visit."  
  
"It's no trouble at all," Nodoka smiled as she stepped back to allow Shampoo into the house. "And who is this with you?"  
  
"This great-grandmother, she is matriarch of our Amazon village," Shampoo said proudly.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Cologne bowed.  
  
"It is an honor to meet you," Nodoka returned the bow respectively.  
  
Cologne had never met Nodoka, but she found herself instantly liking the woman. Though she did question the woman's intelligence, because what normal woman would actually willingly marry Genma Saotome.  
  
"So what brings you here?" Nodoka asked as she led them through the house.  
  
"Actually were here to see Ranma," Cologne said. She stopped when she saw Nodoka instantly tense. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Um, why don't you two go sit down and I'll get some tea."  
  
Cologne and Shampoo stared at each other as Nodoka ducked into the kitchen. Nodoka returned with a tray of tea and a small folded note.  
  
"So," Cologne began, "Where is Ranma?"  
  
"Here," Nodoka handed Cologne the note, "This will be able to explain things better than I can."  
  
Cologne read the note, then read it again a little more carefully.  
  
"Is this note for real?" Cologne asked as she handed said note to Shampoo.  
  
"I'm afraid it is," Nodoka replied sadly.  
  
"Aiyaa," Shampoo exclaimed as she finished reading.  
  
Nodoka poured them some tea and handed them each a cup.  
  
"It seems fate is determined to have chaos control Ranma's life," Cologne observed, no trace of humor in her voice.  
  
"Yes," Nodoka agreed quietly.  
  
"So where did Ranma and the others go?" Cologne asked.  
  
"Actually I just got off the phone with Ranma," Nodoka told them. "And he told me that they were in Beijing."  
  
"They in China!" Shampoo shouted.  
  
Cologne paused to digest all the information given to her.  
  
"Does this mean that they are going to try and go to Jusenkyo?" Cologne asked.  
  
"I don't know," Nodoka admitted. "Akane had said that they couldn't tell me where they were in case our phone lines were being tapped."  
  
"Ranma and Ryoga have managed to get themselves into one big heap of trouble," Cologne noted. "I suppose the question now is what we can do to help."  
  
"What do you mean?" Nodoka asked.  
  
"Well, according to that note, anyone associated with Ranma or Ryoga are now in danger of being attacked by whatever these people are. And I for one am not one to sit by and wait for someone to attack me. So what were going to do is track down these people and either turn them over to the police or the man that Ranma and Ryoga are working for. I think that if we do this it will also help to get some of the heat off of the others so they can get to Jusenkyo faster."  
  
"But I don't know anything about what your talking about," Nodoka said.  
  
"Do not worry, I'm going to help you," Cologne declared.  
  
===============  
  
Author's notes: This chapter was hard, much attributed to the fact that I originally wrote it with only two hours before my plane left for Fort Bragg. Luckily, the plane didn't leave without me. The pilots were a little wary of leaving a Lieutenant Colonel behind. Writing the dialogue for Nodoka was not easy, as she is one of those characters that almost never shows her feelings outright. She keeps them inside, and will always treat strangers with respect. 


	11. Journey Chapter 4 New Horizons

Journey Chapter 4 New Horizons  
  
Xining, Qianhai province, China.  
  
Minoru Hitonda stepped outside his hotel room and walked the short distance to the hotel elevator. He did not bother to make any chit chat with the other occupant of the elevator, as he did not wish to draw attention to himself. Once the elevator had reached the main floor, he exited the elevator and made his way through the lobby, forgetting to check out.  
  
He walked through the front doors to the hotel and climbed into the back of a waiting car. The car sped off without a word being passed between the driver or the passenger.  
  
The drive took ten minutes before they stopped in front of a café that was frequented by students from a nearby university. Minoru got out of the car and entered the café.  
  
He spotted a booth in the corner of the café that was occupied by a short Chinese man wearing a traditional business type suit. The man was lightly built, and looked exactly what you would expect a lower level Chinese businessman to look like. Minoru casually walked over to him.  
  
"I believe this morning chill is a sign of things to come," Minoru said, very casually, to the man.  
  
"Yes," the man replied without looking up, "winter shall be upon us very soon."  
  
The man beckoned Minoru to join him. Minoru obliged and took a seat opposite the man, and ordered some tea from a passing waiter.  
  
"It has been awhile Toji," Minoru said.  
  
"Yes, I seem to remember myself having more hair the last time we met," Toji smiled.  
  
"I trust you have heard of Maruyama's passing?" Minoru asked.  
  
"I shall not mourn his death, but it does pose some major problems, both for us and the Yakuza" Toji told him. "Now, may I ask why you have come such a great distance to talk? I doubt it was so we could exchange pleasantries."  
  
"True," Minoru said. "I have come this distance so I can ask for your assistance. The people that killed Maruyama happen to be passing through China."  
  
Toji sat up straight and looked right at Minoru.  
  
"Go on," he urged.  
  
"Their families are being monitored back in Japan and if everything goes according to plan, I will be able to have them taken care of by the end of this month. I must admit that I cannot tell you with great enthusiasm that I will be able to end the lives of those that killed Maruyama."  
  
"And why is that?" Toji asked.  
  
"The two males are very powerful, the one called Ryoga Hibiki was shot in the chest and he is now in China, four days after being shot."  
  
"That is quite impressive," Toji said.  
  
"Not only that but Seiji Inafune is with them. I know for a fact that Seiji was the one that hired those people to kill Maruyama, and he himself had a great part in ending Toshi's life. I feel it would be of great interest to us that Seiji be gotten rid of. Seiji alive poses a greater threat to us alive than dead," Minoru told him.  
  
"I see," Toji said, contemplating what he had just been told. "You do realize that Seiji's death will lead to a number of problems for us."  
  
"Yes, but as I said, if he were to be kept alive he would cause more trouble than if he were dead."  
  
"I must consult other members from out of country for confirmation, but if what you said was true than you will have my support," Toji said as he got up from the table, leaving just enough money to cover his and Minoru's bill. Tipping waitresses and waiters was not exactly a normal occurrence in China.  
  
Minoru waited five minutes after Toji left before leaving himself. He stepped back into the car he arrived in and instructed the driver of where their next stop would be.  
  
"One down, two more to go," he said softly to himself. Everything was going according to plan. But something had to go wrong, something always did.  
  
===============  
  
"I kind of like these showers," Ryoga said, stepping out of the bathroom. The shower setup in their particular hotel was western-style.  
  
"Yeah," Akane agreed while toweling off her hair. "They don't seem to last very long though."  
  
Ranma mumbled something under his breath as he stepped into the bathroom.  
  
The first thing they had all decided upon was that in order for them to make it through the day, a nice bath would be in order. But the agreement quickly spouted a fierce argument between Ranma and Ryoga over who would go first. The decided that an arm-wrestling match would be the easiest way to determine who would go first. While the two of them were having the first ever Anything-Goes Arm-Wrestling match, Akane and Akari had their showers. By the time they had finished, the hotel suite was a war zone. Ryoga was able to get his shower first because he accidentally stumbled into the bathroom after dodging an aerial barrage of hotel mints from Ranma.  
  
It quickly dawned on the others that despite Ranma and Ryoga's admissions of friendship, they would always be looking for ways to fight each other over anything that they could think of.  
  
"So," Akari began, "What do we do now?"  
  
"Whatever you guys want to do is fine with me," Ryoga said.  
  
"Well, this being your first time here in Beijing, I think we should do a little sight-seeing first," Seiji said.  
  
Ranma emerged from the bathroom. It was apparent to everyone that he was in his cursed form, and also very cold.  
  
"Y-You g-guys used up all t-the h-hot water," she said through chattering teeth. Ranma was rubbing her arms vigorously to try and generate some heat.  
  
"Do not fret Ranma," Seiji laughed. "I took this into account and prepared some hot water."  
  
Seiji left the room and returned with a steaming kettle. He poured the contents over Ranma's head and smiled contently as Ranma returned to his normal form.  
  
"Now that we are all regenerated, I feel the day is wasting, let the sight-seeing commence!"  
  
"Sight-seeing?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
===============  
  
Seiji led them to a waiting car. Again it was of the same government -type make that all the cars Seiji seemed to travel in had.  
  
Akari climbed into the front passenger side and Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga sat in the back. Akane placed herself between Ranma and Ryoga, and warned them of what would happen if they tried to start fighting again. She didn't want a repeat of what happened in the hotel room.  
  
"So where's our first stop?" Akari asked.  
  
"I shall see if any of you will be able to recognize where we are going," Seiji said as he pulled out of the hotel garage. He drove east from the Jianguo hotel.  
  
No one knew where Seiji was taking them as they had never been to Beijing. As far as they knew they could be going to Tiananmen Square.  
  
===============  
  
Minoru cursed as his cell phone rang. He excused himself from the table and exited the restaurant.  
  
"Hitonda!" Minoru barked, pushing the talk button.  
  
"*I do not think that is a very pleasant way to answer one's phone Minoru.*"  
  
"Ishii," Minoru said, his tone telling how much he appreciated the call, "I am in the middle of a very important meeting right now and-"  
  
"*I do not care Minoru, right now I have a more pressing matter at hand,*" Ishii told him.  
  
"And what is it?" Minoru asked, his impatience not hidden.  
  
"*Oh, it seems to have slipped my mind, it was on the tip of my tongue a second ago. I wonder why I can't seem to remember it,*" Ishii said.  
  
"You bastard," Minoru swore, "I do not have time to play your stupid adolescent games."  
  
"*Then you had better make time,*" Ishii said sternly. "*Seiji wishes to have an update on what the other member's moods are at this point.*"  
  
"You may tell him that if he were to show up in their office tomorrow they would string him up by the balls and slit his throat. Whatever way Seiji may wish to interpret that, I suggest he keep his presence unfelt."  
  
"*Thank you Minoru, I have really enjoyed this conversation and I can't wait until we have our next one. See you in a week,*" the line clicked.  
  
Minoru lowered the phone and smiled to himself. For only a little longer would he have to put up with Ishii and Seiji's bullshit. That thought made him smile very contently.  
  
"It shall be the last week of your life."  
  
===============  
  
Seiji hit the end button, ending his conversation with Ishii. He cursed under his breath as he tossed the cell phone into the glove compartment.  
  
"Something wrong Seiji?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Not exactly Ryoga, I guess it was to much to hope that the other members would have overlooked my absence for the past month," Seiji said.  
  
"Who are they?" Ranma asked.  
  
"It does not matter right now," Seiji told them, obviously avoiding the question. "Now, can any of you guess where we are now?"  
  
Everyone looked out their windows, except Akane who had to look over Ranma's shoulder, and looked at the scenery.  
  
They had driven to the heart of Beijing. This early in the morning there were few people out and the whole place was nearly deserted.  
  
Seiji parked the car along the street and stepped out and stretched.  
  
"This my friends," he said as he waved his hand over the respective area, "Is Tiananmen Square."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter I had originally planned to be at least double in length, but I realized that if it were to be that long, the next chapter would have to be merged into it as well. That would have made it far too long. Throughout the story I tried to keep the length of the chapters consistent, except for the first chapter, the last chapter of this volume, and the final chapter. All three are over ten thousand words long.  
  
Anyway, I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I hope everyone's been reviewing. 


	12. Journey Chapter 5 Gathering Thy Friends

Journey Chapter 5 Gathering Thy Friends  
  
Seiji smiled as he watched the others gasp and immediately give the area a once over.  
  
"This was Chairman Mao's creation, as was the Chang`an Jie, the street we used to get here. Tiananmen Square would also prove to be the place where his life's work would be put to test."  
  
Seiji started leading them through the area.  
  
"In 1989, students held a pro-democracy protest here. Deng Xiaoping, the premier at the time, called in the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, to remove the protestors. Xiaoping had originally intended to just scare the students away, but the students would not be intimidated by the PLA. When the protest began to take international interest, Xiaoping decided more drastic measures needed to be taken. Within an hour the PLA advanced on the protestors and began to brutally oppress them. The soldiers were showing little regard for human life, opening fire and bringing in tanks to help keep all exits blocked. The Chinese government had wanted to keep this situation from foreign eyes so they denied any television station to record the event. But some international reporters were there and were able to capture the event and show it to the outside world."  
  
"This area we are in now is where the tanks were led up the street towards the protestors. But they did not reach their intended target. One man stood in the center of the road, blocking the tanks entry. When they tried to go around him he just moved over to again block their paths."  
  
"One man stopped the tanks from moving. One man who was brave enough to go against a force that was infinitely more powerful than him. His name was never released to the public, but it was later found out that the man had been dragged off by PLA soldiers and shot behind some buildings."  
  
Seiji took a moment to let his words sink in.  
  
"I did not bring you here just so I could play tour guide. I brought you here so you could see just what one man can do. That no matter what odds you're up against, one man can still make all the world of a difference. If someone has the courage to stand up against a foe that is stronger than him, than he is a true hero, no matter what the outcome. History admires the wise, but elevates the brave."  
  
"You two," he said pointing at Ranma and Ryoga. "You guys are that kind of person. You will stand up against any type of enemy, no matter how strong they are. With no regard for your own safety you helped me go up against a foe that in all likely hood would make the strongest of today's world hesitate. I want both of you to know that you're both very special people."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga were stunned, and a little embarrassed. Akane was seething.  
  
"Oh and I guess Akari and I are just about as useful as a wet towel then."  
  
Seiji burst out laughing and nearly fell to his knees.  
  
===============  
  
Kasumi sighed as she dragged the giddy doctor home. Tofu was incoherently babbling as he was pulled across the pavement, oblivious to everything around him.  
  
"And he was doing so well to," Kasumi said to herself. She looked down at Dr. Tofu and smiled. "Oh well, at least we were able to have some fun before he got all funny again."  
  
When she reached the house she was surprised to see that Cologne and Shampoo were there. What Kasumi was not surprised to find was the drunken forms of Soun and Genma passed out.  
  
"What brings you two here?" Kasumi asked Cologne and Shampoo as she set Dr. Tofu down.  
  
"We actually came over for Ryoga's coming home party but it seems we missed a going away party."  
  
Kasumi sighed. "Yes it is quite odd that they would not at least tell us where they were going before they left; I could have made them some breakfast."  
  
Nodoka came in and handed Kasumi a cup of tea, Kasumi thanked her as she accepted the tea.  
  
"It has also come to my attention that this house and everyone associated with Ranma and Ryoga are in danger. I have taken it upon myself to try and help everyone and organize a kind of security force. I've instructed Mousse to head over to Ucchan's and retrieve Ukyo and that kunoichi boy. I left it up to Nabiki to try and explain this to the Kuno's," Cologne said.  
  
"Does this mean were going to be in danger inside of our own house?" Kasumi asked, fear creeping into her voice.  
  
"Yes but I'm going to cover all this once everyone gets here and those two buffoons wake up," Cologne stated, pointing to the two passed out fathers.  
  
===============  
  
Nabiki took a deep breath before entering her homeroom class. It had been a very stressful morning so far. It seemed that nearly everyone in the school was interested in where Ranma and Akane were, and not everyone seemed to care that Nabiki had put up a notice saying that they were simply on another adventure, and that she would have all details as soon as they returned.  
  
She entered the class and took her seat next to Kuno. As soon as he recognized her presence, Kuno spoke up.  
  
"Nabiki Tendo, I wish to enquire upon the whereabouts of the beauteous Akane and the cretin Saotome."  
  
"Well gee Kuno; information such as that doesn't exactly get handed out for free now does it?" Nabiki asked with an innocent smile.  
  
Kuno sighed dramatically and handed Nabiki 2000 yen.  
  
Nabiki realized she needed to choose her words carefully. If she were to blatantly say that Ranma and Akane had left in the middle of the night and gone to China because they had contracted the wrath of the Yakuza, Kuno would flip out and go on the rampage.  
  
"Why Kuno-baby, I would have never expected you to hand money over with such reluctance," Nabiki said sarcastically.  
  
"I am always reluctant when it comes to handing over money to you Nabiki Tendo," Kuno replied.  
  
"I would think that by now you would have gotten used to it Kuno- baby," Nabiki replied coyly.  
  
"Yes," Kuno agreed. "It is only too often that I must relinquish my wealth over to you."  
  
Maybe I can lead him in a completely other direction, Nabiki thought.  
  
"Well, with Ranma not being here won't you be free to try and find your pig-tailed goddess?" Nabiki asked, smiling to herself over her own brilliance.  
  
A fire flashed in Kuno's eyes and he leapt to his feet, knocking his desk and the person in front of him over.  
  
"Ah, my pig-tailed goddess, my love for you is as boundless as the sea! I shall find you my love!" Kuno shouted as he ran out of the room.  
  
Nabiki smirked at Kuno's retreating form. The smirk disappeared when she realized that she was supposed to bring Kuno back to the house.  
  
"Oh damn," Nabiki muttered as she ran out of the room after Kuno. She spotted him down the hall, running at full speed. She knew she wouldn't be able to chase him much longer, but luckily she spotted Ukyo down at the end of the hall.  
  
"Ukyo!" Nabiki called. "Stop that damn fool!"  
  
Ukyo looked up in time to see Kuno run past her. Without thinking she unhitched her battle spatula and swung. Kuno was hit on the side and sent flying into a row of lockers. He tried to get up but a second swing that planted his face into the ground silenced all future efforts.  
  
Nabiki caught up to Ukyo, out of breath. "Thanks.Ucchan.Kuno-baby is a little too fast for me."  
  
"What was he running for in the first place?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"I made the mistake of mentioning that since Ranma and Akane are gone, he can concentrate all his efforts on his pig-tailed girl."  
  
"Ranma and Akane are gone?" Ukyo asked, her normally bright face turning rapidly pale.  
  
Nabiki eeped and quickly grabbed Ukyo to keep her from falling.  
  
"Whoa, Ukyo calm down, if you'll help me get Kuno back to my house then I'll be able to explain everything to you, okay?" Nabiki asked, slowly removing her hands from Ukyo's shoulders.  
  
"Sorry about that Nabiki," Ukyo said, shaking her head as if to clear it. She reached down and picked up the unconscious kendoist and slung him over her shoulder.  
  
"Lead the way."  
  
===============  
  
"Why aren't we taking the car Seiji?" Ryoga asked as they made their way down the streets of Beijing. They were headed to some kind of station that had stairs that lead underground.  
  
"The city is beginning to awaken and the streets will be too crowded for us to drive," Seiji told them. "So were going to take the Underground Dragon to Tiantan Park."  
  
Everyone looked at Seiji.  
  
"Oh, I keep forgetting that you guys have never been here before. The Underground Dragon is the name for Beijing's subway system."  
  
===============  
  
"They say this thing goes 70km an hour," Seiji said.  
  
"It's still not as fast as the Shinkansen," Ryoga said.  
  
They had entered the station and waited for their train. While they were talking, people in the station were doing their best to stare right at them. Ranma and Ryoga stared back at them, which made Seiji burst out laughing. Akane and Akari were a little confused at this and asked Seiji. He told them that even though cultures may be as closely tied as Japan and China is, people will still treat tourists like they are from another planet. Ranma and Ryoga, who had traveled for most of their lives, were quite familiar with this treatment and found that staring back at these people would make them turn away.  
  
The ride to the park was uneventful, which surprised Akane. Ranma and Ryoga had chosen to sit next to each other, which made everyone think that they might start fighting soon. But Ranma and Ryoga were civil to each other, actually rather friendly, even sharing a joke at one point.  
  
Seiji told them when they had left the station that they were going to be right outside Tiantan Park. He had said that it was very beautiful. Once they saw the park, they realized just how much of an understatement that was. Tiantan Park was of such enduring wonder that it short-handed the entire city. All of the buildings in the park, including the Round Alter, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, were an awesome display of god in the architecture.  
  
"This place is breath-taking Seiji," Akane said as they walked through the east gate.  
  
"I thought you guys might like it," Seiji said.  
  
"Hey!" Ranma shouted. "Those people are doing T`ai Chi. Lets go Ryoga."  
  
Ryoga didn't get a chance to respond as Ranma grasped his arm and dashed over to the people. He frantically tried to pull away but was unable to so he succumbed to being dragged all the way there.  
  
Seiji, Akane, and Akari had a good laugh at the sight of Ryoga trying to get his arm free as he was being dragged by an oblivious Ranma. Seiji wiped a few tears from his face as he finished chuckling, and turned to the girls.  
  
"I suppose you ladies would not be averse to taking a stroll through this wonderful park with me while our two adventurers amaze the locals."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter marks the emergence of my wife, "Mrs. Clark". With great reluctance, my wife finally agreed to continue my writing while I was sent to India. Though she told me beforehand that she would not like it, she wound up having lots of fun, especially reading all the reviews everyone wrote for her. She's going to help me write with the sequel to this story, so for those that enjoyed her writing, there will be more of it.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I hope everyone has been writing reviews. 


	13. Journey Chapter 6 Fighting Back

Journey Chapter 6 Fighting Back  
  
Nabiki dropped the unconscious Kuno onto the ground. She joined Ukyo at the end of the living room table. The room itself was quite crowded with Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse on one end of the table. Soun, Genma, and an unconscious Kuno were sitting off to their right and Nodoka, Kasumi, and Dr. Tofu were on the left of the amazons. Nabiki, Ukyo, and Konatsu were sitting opposite to them.  
  
"I realize these past few hours have been very stressful for all of you," Cologne said, indicating towards the Tendo's and Saotome's. "But we have a situation on our hands that cannot be ignored."  
  
"According to the note Seiji Inafune left here after getting Ranma and the others, the organization from which Ranma and Ryoga had plotted against, is now directing some of its attention to us here in Nerima. I don't have any real clear idea on just how much danger we're in right now but, what I do know is that we must prepare for the worst.  
  
"First things first, I am going to initiate a kind of buddy system. We are all going to split into groups that I feel will be able to work and cooperate the best. I will not hear any complaints about these groups except if a person feels they will be absolutely unable to work with someone."  
  
Cologne paused to allow it to sink in.  
  
"Group A will consist of me and Happosai, if he ever decides to show up. Group B shall consist of Kuno, Ukyo, Konatsu, and Nabiki; Group B will be staying at the Kuno residence."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Ukyo shouted leaping to her feet. "What about my restaurant?"  
  
Cologne turned and looked at Ukyo, icily. "At this time we are trying to ensure that no one here will be killed. But if you find that your restaurant is more important to you than your life and our own, then be my guest and leave."  
  
Ukyo looked like she had just run into a wall. She sat down clumsily and muttered an apology.  
  
Kuno (who had by now regained consciousness) spoke up.  
  
"I shall lend the abilities of the great Kuno household for this mission honorable elder," Kuno said respectively. He spared a glance at his now houseguests and smiled. "I believe you shall all find the Kuno household more than able to accommodate all your needs."  
  
Cologne nodded and continued. "Group C will include Dr. Tofu, Kasumi, Nodoka, Genma, and Soun. They shall be stationed here at the Tendo household. I expect that all martial artists in this group to do their best in protecting the other members," Cologne looked straight at Soun and Genma. "And not to allow their own personal feelings get in the way of protecting this house," she looked directly at Tofu, who winced inwardly.  
  
"Finally, Group D shall consist of Shampoo and Mousse. You two will be stationed at the Cat Café."  
  
To the surprise of everyone else, Shampoo did not make any verbal protests or bash Mousse's head in. She merely accepted the pairing with a nod, much to the pleasure of Mousse.  
  
"Okay," Cologne said, gathering everyone's attentions once again. "Now that all the groups have been determined, I shall now assign the duties that each group will carry out. Group A will be responsible for making trips to every group daily and pass on any new information that is developed. Also, they will have to make sure that each group has a proper defense set up to ensure that no outside intruders will be able to get in or, if someone does get in, they will be detained until a group A member arrives.  
  
"Group B is going to do be in charge of information. Gathering information and trying to organize it and make records of it all. As well, they shall be in charge of distributing any kind of devices that will prove useful to us. And last, Group B will be responsible for keeping this entire situation under wraps, which means from everyone. Group C will have it easy. The only thing their responsible for is informing the rest of us when our adventurers in China give us a call. The only other thing is their home station will be the site where we will all hold meetings for every other day.  
  
"Finally, Group D will be responsible for doing nightly reconnaissance of Nerima. They will have the duty of checking every group's station and to check for any abnormal activity in the vicinity of Nerima."  
  
Cologne stopped to see if anyone had any quarrels with what she had just laid out. Seeing as no one spoke up, she continued.  
  
"I'm also setting down some ground ruled as well. Whenever you leave your respective stations, their must be someone that goes with you and at least one of those people must be martial artists, no exceptions will be made. The only people that will have the privilege of traveling alone will be I, Happosai, and Konatsu. The reason these three have been chosen is because we all have primary abilities to move around without being detected.  
  
"Rule number two is that there must always be at least two people at a station at all times, except Group D. And at least one of those people must be a martial artist. Finally, and with my sincerest apologies, the last rule is that none of you will be able to go about your normal daily business. That means no school, no running a business, and no seeing any friends or relatives. We do not want anyone else to get involved in this."  
  
"Alright," Cologne said, wrapping it up. "Let us split into our groups and head off for our stations."  
  
Everybody got to their feet and stretched. They thanked Cologne and said their goodbyes to each other. Kuno, Nabiki, Ukyo, and Konatsu all headed for the Kuno estate. Shampoo and Mousse left for the Cat Café.  
  
Cologne excused herself and left. She needed some time to think so she decided to take a walk. Cologne had gone for maybe a block before she felt someone watching her.  
  
"Come out!" she shouted.  
  
"I was watching you for quite some time Cologne. I expected you to sense me earlier."  
  
"Happy," Cologne dropped her offensive stance (but not by much) as Happosai leapt down from a rooftop.  
  
"It is quite a bind those boys have gotten themselves into," Happosai said casually. "Ranma certainly has a habit for getting himself in trouble."  
  
"Oh please," Cologne laughed. "You got yourself into as much trouble as Ranma in your younger days, and you still do now."  
  
"True," Happosai agreed. "But the trouble facing them right now is much more serious," he said, his voice deadly serious.  
  
"Yes and the danger facing them is probably more than it seems," Cologne said, then continued. "Does this mean that you're going to help me try and wreck some havoc over here to help get some off of Ranma and the others?"  
  
"Perhaps," Happosai said, staring off in the distance, as if in deep thought.  
  
Cologne followed his gaze and saw two young girls walk by wearing short skirts. She sighed and shook her head. Some things would never change. Cologne whacked Happosai over the head with her staff.  
  
"Can you even go five minutes without acting like a pervert?" Cologne asked, disgusted.  
  
Happosai rubbed his head. "I'm sure I've gone five minutes before."  
  
"Sleeping doesn't count Happy," Cologne said.  
  
"Ah, never mind, we should stick to the situation at hand. I think it would be in my best interest you Cologne," Happosai said. "Especially since I'm going to be making midnight visits to a lot of pretty ladies!"  
  
Cologne fought her desire to smack Happosai for his idiocy. She waited for Happosai to stop his maniacal laughter before speaking up.  
  
"Come with me Happy, were going to my restaurant to pick some things up."  
  
===============  
  
"So how come your not going to come with us the rest of the way to Xining Seiji?" Akane asked as they walked past a temple.  
  
"I don't want to bore you girls with the details, but in short, I'm trying to make sure that when I go back to Japan I'm going to be able to walk in public without the fear that I am at the risk of assassination."  
  
Akari leaned close to Akane and whispered into her ear. "I don't think those details would exactly be boring."  
  
"Look," Seiji started, "I had an alternative reason for asking you girls to come on this walk with me."  
  
"Oh, what is it?" Akari asked.  
  
"When we were in the hotel room and I got on the phone to talk to Akane's parents, I instead found myself talking to Dr. Tofu. Now, I'm going to need you two girls to promise me that you're not going to get upset," Seiji said.  
  
"Okay, we promise," Akane answered.  
  
"Tofu told me that he has been going over Ranma's past medical files when he came upon a startling realization. Ranma may be suffering from post- traumatic stress disorder," Seiji said simply. He watched in sadness as Akane and Akari's faces rapidly turned pale.  
  
"W-what, how?" Akane asked quietly.  
  
"The doctor doesn't know for certain if Ranma is actually suffering from the disorder or not but, he says that it is almost a sure thing that he is. From what I know of this disorder, it's usually caused by a very traumatic event occurring. Tofu tells me that from what he's heard, what happened in Jusendo could very well be the event that would cause this disorder to inflict Ranma."  
  
"Oh god," Akane breathed. Akari put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Akari looked at Seiji.  
  
"But that occurred a month ago."  
  
"Ranma may not show any symptoms for up to six months," Seiji said sadly, then straightened up. "I know that this is very upsetting, but if this is indeed the case then we need to be strong for Ranma. As awful as this might sound, we can't afford to have Ranma snapping or having a breakdown and slowing our journey down. We are under a lot of pressure right now and we can't have anything slow us down."  
  
"But what can we do to help Ranma?" Akari asked, her voice pleading.  
  
"I think the best thing for us to do is to try and make sure Ranma does not see anything that might trigger some kind of memory of his fight with Saffron. It will also be for the best if we do not tell Ryoga any of this," Seiji said.  
  
"And why is that?" Akari asked.  
  
"Because if Ryoga were to find out that Ranma may have something wrong with him in any way then he is going to act very careful around Ranma."  
  
"Why would that be a bad thing for Ranma, that would mean that they wouldn't fight anymore," Akane said.  
  
Seiji looked a little shocked at Akane. "You mean you haven't seen it before, the way Ranma acts when he's with Ryoga. When Ranma and Ryoga are fighting or arguing, I think their both really at their happiest. Those two are best friends, whether they care to admit or not."  
  
"But what's going to happen if Ranma has a breakdown?" Akari asked.  
  
"Well, a person that is suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome will usually have a kind of flashback to the event in question and think that their in the middle of it again. So I guess Ranma would think that he was at Jusendo again and he was fighting Saffron."  
  
If it were possible, Akane would have turned even paler.  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: The second chapter released by my wife, and if I don't say so myself, I couldn't have done it any better. She wrote this entire chapter in one sitting, after having read every single chapter of Ranma ½ the manga, quite a feat. Both my wife and I have been stationed in Japan before, which is where my love affair with Ranma ½ first began.  
  
I had only been in Japan for four months, but that was enough for me to learn Japanese enough to speak it fluently and read it. Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, the whole shebang. Well, after about two months, I saw someone on a bus reading a Shonen Sunday book, and after that I saw almost everyone everywhere reading them so I decided to pick one up for myself.  
  
None of the stories really appealed to me, but then I stumbled upon the first chapter of the Age of Mushrooms Episode of the Ranma ½ manga. I think the people on the bus thought I had gone insane because I laughed so much.  
  
The next day I went to my commanding officer at my base in Nagasaki and asked him for two hours off. He allowed me the time off and I very quickly went to a comic book store and ordered all the Ranma ½ graphic novels that had been released. The guy running the store looked at me a little strangely. I don't blame him. I was twenty-five years old, a captain in the American Army, a big muscular guy, and here I was inside a comic book store ordering every single comic of a series that was beloved by the Japanese people.  
  
The books arrived the next day and I read them non-stop, for six hours. I got my wife to read them, and she liked them as well.  
  
I left Japan and headed out to Germany before the series was finished, and I arranged for my previous post-commander to send me the comics as they were released. He did, and I am eternally grateful. The last few graphic novels of the Ranma ½ series were the best. I have probably read them at least five hundred times since I received them almost five years ago.  
  
I've loved the series since that day, and I love reading the stories produced by fans, they are sometimes as fun to read as the original stories.  
  
Heh, sorry about that, just my rambling on about my love for this great series. 


	14. Journey Chapter 7 Top Players

Journey Chapter 7 Top Players  
  
"Seiji, we can't let that happen," Akane said, remembering the destruction that was Jusendo after Ranma and Saffron's battle.  
  
Seiji nodded sadly. "I know, but all we can really do is hope like hell that nothing sets Ranma off," Seiji said, his voice becoming oddly emotional. "I am so sorry."  
  
Akane took a few moments to compose herself, and smiled at Seiji.  
  
"Hey c'mon Seiji," Akane said cheerfully. "Weren't you the one that asked us not to get upset?"  
  
Seiji looked at Akane for a few a seconds before smiling. This girl was obviously much stronger than he had originally thought. Akari too was making an effort to smile at him trying to comfort him. He chided himself for ever thinking that the girls that had won the hearts of his two warriors would be some simple minded girls.  
  
"Touché my dear Akane, touché."  
  
===============  
  
Minoru extracted his keycard for his hotel room door. He didn't expect a hotel of this quality to actually have such high security. He shrugged it off as irrelevant and opened the door and stepped inside. Once he entered the room, Minoru noticed two things. First, the air was heavily laden with cigarette smoke; and second, the television was on. Minoru did not smoke and he had not switched the television on since acquiring the room. It was quite obvious that someone had been in the room after he had left to go meet the Chinese black market dealers.  
  
Minoru was a deeply proud man, and he had great pride in his ability as a martial artist, but he far more pride in his marksmanship with firearms. He was not a man that would allow himself to become a victim by an attack from some petty thief.. His hands went to the small of his back and he extracted the 9mm Beretta from his waistband. He was going to give this punk bastard the surprise of his life. Minoru chambered a round; thankfully the fool had whatever television show he was watching quite loud so Minoru doubted that the noise was heard. He cautiously took a few steps and leaned against the wall, inching his head around the corner. The thief was sitting in a chair facing the television which put his back to Minoru.  
  
After, he took a few breaths to ensure he was ready. Once finished he pushed off the wall and took two running steps around the corner. He jumped forward and tucked his shoulders, rolling once he hit the ground and twisting his body as he did so and came to a stop, facing the man sitting in the chair, the Beretta pointed right at him.  
  
"Hello Minoru," the man in the chair smiled.  
  
"Damn it Kimura!" Minoru yelled as he got to his feet.  
  
"It's nice to see you too," Kimura said, getting out of the chair. He smiled graciously, "I am glad to see that you have not forgotten me."  
  
"I thought you were some damn thief!" Minoru shouted, putting the Beretta into his waistband.  
  
"What is wrong my friend, are you not happy to see me?" Kimura asked innocently. "I suppose I should have waited until you returned to come visit but I was a little pressed for time.  
  
Isamu Kimura had been Minoru's designated trainer when he first joined the ranks of the Yakuza. Minoru had been a petty thief before deciding to become a "Freelance Yakuza" member. Kimura had showed him the ropes and helped him get in good with surrounding members. Before Minoru knew it, he had become a "Clan Yakuza" member. Working for the Yakuza was thrilling and exiting for young Minoru, he had shown an eagerness and ruthlessness that demanded notice. He propelled up the chain of command, getting the job done and never once backing down from an assignment. That was when Kimura had mysteriously disappeared and Toshi Maruyama appeared.  
  
Minoru was immediately ordered to become Maruyama's aide. While Minoru had been expecting a great chance to move up into the spot of a Kyodai, he soon realized that Maruyama was a very dangerous man that showed little to no respect for the Oyabun. Maruyama would simply scoff at any protest that would be made by a senior member of the Yakuza and do whatever he pleased himself to do. Because of Minoru's relationship with him he was soon propelled right back down the ranks, becoming nothing more than a lapdog, sent out to collect debts or make sure someone had carried out their Yubitsume (the act of cutting one's fingertip off with a very sharp object and sending the fingertip to the kumicho, the person you are apologizing to, this is done when someone is apologizing for committing an act that is seen as an insult to the Oyabun, this act is still carried out today).  
  
It was when Toshi recruited Seiji Inafune that Minoru saw his chance to make it back on the clan's good side. While Toshi was unstable and unpredictable, Seiji carried out missions to the exact and left no margin of error. Minoru did not learn until later that Toshi had actually used some kind of mind technique on Seiji to do the things he was doing but as far as Minoru was concerned Toshi could keep this up until the old man croaked. He slowly worked his way back into the clan's favor and began his own steps to ensure that he would stay on their good side. Minoru knew that Seiji was plotting to eliminate Toshi, and he only made small reports to Toshi on the matter. And now that Toshi was dead, the only thing to do next was to eliminate Seiji, Ishii, and those stupid martial artists and their families. Thus securing his place within the Yakuza as a trusted member.  
  
Setting the members against Seiji was a piece of cake, one of the most damnable things a member of the Yakuza can do is kill a Kyodai of his own gang, which Seiji had done without hesitation. Even when he was doing this he was pretending to be helping Seiji gain back the support of the Yakuza, he could not wait to see the look on the stupid bastard's face when he gets picked up by the Yakuza.  
  
What made Minoru wary of Kimura's sudden reappearance was that he noticed that Isamu was missing the tip of his index finger on his right hand. He did not know what Kimura had did but, before he disappeared, Kimura had commanded more respect and power than Minoru could only hope for. The man had been the only member of the Yakuza, other than the Oyabun, that could travel around the country without alerting anyone of his presence. For him to have offended the Oyabun in such a way that even he had to remove his fingertip, the act must have been truly terrible.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Minoru asked.  
  
"I shall tell you, once you have fixed me a drink," Kimura said. He followed Minoru into a separate room that contained a small mini bar. "I would like to ask you just why you are trying to acquire the approval of all the brothers within Japan and China including the four head distributors."  
  
Minoru did not lift his head when he replied. "With Maruyama out of the picture, Tokyo is free reign right now. There is going to be a major movement within the organization and I feel that having Seiji Inafune out of the picture will help get things moving faster."  
  
"As well as increasing your own position and putting yourself in prime position to be moved in and become the major distributor within Tokyo," Kimura said his voice cold. "I hope you understand just how much unrest you are creating among the older members. Seiji Inafune was able to create one of the leading markets within a month of being brought in. And from what I hear, his two new bodyguards were the ones that killed Maruyama, a man that has been hunted by nearly every government in the world and managed to elude them and continue running his black market. The man was a god within our world my friend, and those two men killed him after only following him for a week."  
  
Minoru scowled. "Listen Kimura, I have asked damned little from this organization and done twice what any man has been capable of. I don't think that my asking for the elimination of Seiji Inafune and his subordinate, and his bodyguards and their families will rise too much of a commotion."  
  
When Kimura spoke, his voice was deadly serious. "I do not think you have a complete grasp on what is happening. There is movement inside the organization. Something big is going to happen my friend, bigger than Seiji Inafune, and bigger than the Yakuza." Kimura paused to allow what he said sink in. "With Maruyama's death, Inafune's descent from the organization, and your request has pushed the higher-ups too fast and spread the forces out too thin. My meeting with you has not been a coincidence. Hiroshi Goto has assigned me with the task of seeing if all your intentions are going to be directed towards the good of the organization."  
  
Minoru nearly gasped at that bit of news. Goto was the man that was rumored to become the next Oyabun for the greater Japan area. For him to show such a great deal of interest, than what Kimura was saying held greater importance than he thought.  
  
"I shall take great hindrance in your words my friend, now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with another distributor," Minoru said as he downed the rest of his drink.  
  
"Be that as it may Minoru, I am going to be accompanying you on you visit to Koga."  
  
Minoru showed no physical reaction to Minoru's statement, but inside he was nearly overcome with fear. Just what the hell had he gotten himself into?  
  
===============  
  
Once everyone had gotten themselves settled into their rooms, Group B decided to have a late lunch. As they walked towards the dining area, Kuno pulled Nabiki aside.  
  
"It occurred to me Nabiki Tendo that you never did tell me what exactly happened that made the beautiful Akane and the cretin Saotome go to China. I believe I have already paid you so I desire to have the information right now," Kuno said.  
  
"Nabiki sighed and looked down the hall where the others were sitting. "I might as well tell everyone what has been going on these last few weeks. So your going to have to wait at least till lunch is served Kuno- baby."  
  
"Alright then, I shall make haste and speed the cooks to have a lunch prepared so that I may of the true happenings between Ranma and Akane."  
  
Lunch was eaten in haste and Nabiki began to tell the others everything that had transpired in the past month, including what happened at Jusendo. Everyone paid close attention to Nabiki, never interrupting her once during the story. Not even Kuno spoke up, which surprised Nabiki to say the least. As she began to wrap it up, Nabiki noticed that Kuno had stopped looking at her. Nabiki took this as Kuno's attempt to keep all references of normal society out of his mind.  
  
"Oh wow," Ukyo said, "did Akane really come that close to dying?"  
  
Ukyo had never learned the true happenings at Jusendo, just a few details, but all she had really thought was, everyone went to China and came back without cures.  
  
"Yeah, Mousse and Ryoga filled me in on what happened, if Ranma had been even one minute longer, Akane would have likely never woken up."  
  
Ukyo looked close to tears and excused herself, Konatsu followed close behind her as she dashed down the halls.  
  
Nabiki looked over at Kuno and saw that he appeared to be contemplating something.  
  
"What are you thinking about Kuno-baby?" Nabiki asked when the silence grew annoying.  
  
"Are you quite certain that it was Ranma who saved Akane's life?" Kuno asked seriously. The idea that Ranma would do anything honorable was lost to him.  
  
"Yes Kuno," Nabiki answered. "And I don't want to hear any crap about how Ranma only did this so he could continue his evil ways. Ranma fought and killed a demigod Kuno, and only so he could save Akane."  
  
Kuno looked thoughtful for a second, and then a frown crossed his features. He rose to his feet and bowed to Nabiki.  
  
"If you'll excuse me Nabiki Tendo, I believe I have some errands to attend to."  
  
Nabiki smiled. "Whatever you say Kuno-baby."  
  
===============  
  
"Exactly what are we getting here Cologne?" Happosai asked as Cologne opened her closet door.  
  
"I've got a pill in here that just might be able to help Dr. Tofu with his infatuation with Kasumi Tendo. Hopefully this will allow him to be able to allow the doctor a chance to actually stay sane while near her," Cologne said.  
  
Happosai whistled, "Wow, that's got to be one strong pill. How does it work?"  
  
Cologne answered him without stopping her search through the closet. "Once swallowed, the pill dissolves before reaching the stomach and enters the blood stream. Upon contact with the red blood cells, a kind of anti- stimulant is developed and carried to the brain where the anti-stimulant attaches itself to the part of the brain that receives the hormonal messages."  
  
Cologne stepped out of the closet, holding a very large, very orange pill that had a shape resembling a bean.  
  
"So it's kind of like a sleeping pill for your hormones, right?" Happosai said.  
  
"In effect, yes your right," Cologne responded.  
  
Happosai looked at the pill and began to chuckle. "How the hell is he supposed to swallow that thing?" The pills size resembled that of a tennis ball.  
  
Cologne gazed at the pill and frowned.  
  
"I admit it is quite large but this is our only option at this point." A mischievous grin spread across her face. "At least it isn't a suppository."  
  
Happosai had a good laugh at that.  
  
"I had forgotten how funny you can be when you let down your serious facade," Happosai chuckled.  
  
"And it seems I forgot that you can actually be normal when your not leaching over young girls," Cologne said with a chuckle of her own.  
  
The two martial arts masters looked at each other for a moment. They quickly looked away.  
  
"So what are we going to do after somehow getting Tofu to swallow this pill?" Happosai asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Were going over to the Kuno estate to hopefully make sure that everyone is getting along," Cologne told him. Having Kuno in anyone's group was asking for trouble. At least Nabiki was capable of handling the idiot.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This is the second chapter released by Mrs. Clark. It was written entirely by her, as she had lost the notes that I left her, and I must say that it is quite well done. She said that this was her favorite chapter because it saw the appearance of her favorite of my own creations, Isamu Kimura. You'll be seeing more of him as the story progresses.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far and I hope that everyone has been reviewing. 


	15. Journey Chapter 8 A Helping Hand

Journey Chapter 8 A Helping Hand  
  
"Heh, we sure put on a show for those people eh Ryoga?" Ranma smirked.  
  
Ryoga chuckled. "Yeah, I was pretty sure they were going to start bowing to us, declaring us gods or something."  
  
Seiji's hopes that Ranma and Ryoga would not draw attention to themselves were quickly squashed when nearly the entire population of the park was drawn to the two young martial artists as they squared off. Luckily they were able to escape from the crowds and make it back to the subway before things got out of hand, like having the police show up.  
  
Akane and Akari, despite their best efforts, found themselves looking at Ranma with sadness in their eyes, still thinking about the news of Ranma's mental difficulties that Seiji told them. This did not escape Ranma's notice and he quickly became annoyed.  
  
"You know, you two have been looking at me like that ever since we got out of the park, and if I didn't know better I would have to think that it was with pity in your eyes."  
  
Akane and Akari quickly averted their gazes but it was too late, Ranma was out of his seat and walking towards them. He quickly moved his head to try and look the girls in the face but they moved their heads to avoid.  
  
"Hey, I want to know why you two are looking at me like that!" Ranma shouted. Just when he felt he had them worn down the subway car suddenly lurched, sending Ranma flying and right into the divider between subway cars. The lights flickered out and the subway train came to a stop.  
  
Ranma slowly got to his feet, rubbing his head. "Oww, what happened?"  
  
"It's probably just a power failure," Seiji answered from the darkness. "It happens occasionally."  
  
"How long does."  
  
Ryoga was caught off when a number of screams were heard from the other subway cars.  
  
"What the hell?" Ranma said as he peered into the other subway car. He watched as several bulky looking Chinese men entered the subway car; each man held an assault rifle and was stopping at every person and barking out orders. They were dressed in finely pressed uniforms; they reminded Ranma of the sort of outfits the commando teams would wear in movies. "Uh Seiji, I think you should come here for a second."  
  
Seiji and the others joined Ranma and peered into the other subway car.  
  
"Shit," Seiji cursed under his breath. He took a step back from the divider and motioned for the others to do the same. When he spoke his voice was deadly serious.  
  
"There is unknown number of enemies in the subway cars. I say enemy because there is no doubt in my mind that they are here for us. Those are not regular PLA soldiers, and I would believe that they are a Special Forces team. The only option we have right now is to wait for them to come and get us. We cannot, I repeat cannot, initiate attacks on them, even if they were to through us to the ground and beat us, to do so would be an act of war."  
  
Everyone took Seiji's words with a grave expression on their face. When his cell phone rang it made everyone jump at least a foot of the ground.  
  
Seiji casually retrieved the phone and answered it.  
  
"Hello."  
  
*The soldiers in the next car will take a few minutes before reaching your own, that should give you enough time to escape.*  
  
The voice was oddly familiar to Seiji but he could not find a face that matched the voice. There were always so many faces.  
  
"Who is this?" Seiji asked, his voice guarded.  
  
The person didn't bother answering him.  
  
*The window beside you has a weak frame, you should be able to pop the glass out.*  
  
Seiji walked up to the window and gave it a shove with one hand. He was surprised when the entire window, and frame, break free and fall to the ground below.  
  
Seiji lifted his phone to his ear. "I shall ask again, who are you?" Seiji climbed through the window, with Ranma and the others following suit.  
  
*If you would like me to waste the few precious minutes you have telling you then.*  
  
"Alright!" Seiji said sharply. "Where do we go now?"  
  
*Thirty feet in front of you is a door, go through it.*  
  
Seiji complied and once through the door he found himself facing a very large, very black man holding a cell phone with a big grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Always the inquisitive mind, eh Seiji?" the man asked.  
  
"Phillip!" Seiji exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Damn it Seiji, you sure know how to get yourself into trouble," Phillip said happily.  
  
"I haven't seen you in two years, what the hell have you been doing all this time?"  
  
"Were going to have to catch up some other time Seiji, I don't want to be around here when those soldiers figure out where you went."  
  
"Quite right," Seiji agreed. He turned to face the others, "Alright were going to follow this big bear out of here."  
  
Phillip led them up three flights of stairs before exiting through a door and back out into daylight. He turned and smiled at the four young Japanese teenagers.  
  
"You four get into those Sedans," Phillip said, pointing to the waiting cars. "I'm taking Seiji with me to Tiananmen Square to pick up his car."  
  
Phillip surprised them when he spoke nearly flawless Japanese; he carried a small accent that they could not place. He seemed to be trustworthy so they complied. Ranma and Akane got into one car and Ryoga and Akari got into another. It felt good to be out of the subway.  
  
"Where are they going to be taken?" Seiji asked as they made their way down Beijing's crowded streets.  
  
"I've instructed the driver to take them to the British Embassy for now," Phillip replied as Seiji spotted his car.  
  
Seiji smiled at the news. "I suppose that would be the last place you would look for four Japanese teenagers." Seiji was happy with his friend's arrival but he could not understand just how he could have possibly known they were in trouble.  
  
Phillip saw the confused expression on Seiji's face and decided he should explain.  
  
"I just finished graduating from the Ranger school (Special Forces unit) when I heard some rumblings about some kind of power shift in Japan and I had a feeling that you were somehow involved. I called my father and asked him if he knew anything and he told me to use whatever leave time I had saved up and get to China as fast as possible. It seems that whatever you have been doing has not escaped the notice of my father, not that I would expect anything less."  
  
Phillip Sheridan Parker IV came from a long line of military men. His father served with the Green Berets and had met Seiji Inafune while on operation in Vietnam. Seiji was there as an interpreter because there was a shortage of people that actually had the ability to speak as well as write the Vietnamese language. Seiji had been assigned to Parker's unit and the two became friends. Before the war was over the two had gone on a mission that neither man would talk about and no matter how many times Phillip had tried to pry the truth from his father or Seiji he would be shot down.  
  
His father soon retired and was picked up for work in the Pentagon. He said he was just a simple paper-pusher but when a man is assigned a protective detail, he is obviously a little more than a simple paper- pusher.  
  
"So," Phillip continued, "do you want to tell me just what exactly you have been doing these last few years?"  
  
"It's a long story my friend, so I think it would be best if I started from the beginning."  
  
===============  
  
Shampoo and Mousse arrived at the Cat Café without a word spoken between them. Shampoo because she was gripped by the sudden sadness that one receives when realizing that the one person in their life that they loved will never be theirs, and Mousse because of a helpful "suggestion" from Cologne.  
  
Summing up some courage, Mousse finally broke the silence between them.  
  
"What do we do now?"  
  
"We shall wait for great grandmother to return before we do anything."  
  
Shampoo surprised Mousse by speaking in their native tongue. He decided to oblige her and respond in kind.  
  
"I meant what do we do until she returns?"  
  
Shampoo gave Mousse a cold stare. "If your implying what I think you're implying Mousse you are in for a world of hurt."  
  
Mousse quickly raised his hands in front of himself to ward of the incoming attack. "I-I wasn't trying to imply anything Shampoo, honest!" he said, trying to get her to calm down.  
  
Shampoo dropped her aggressive stance and smiled at the confused boy.  
  
"I'm sorry Mousse; it has been a very long, very hard, start today."  
  
"I understand," Mousse replied thoughtfully. He sat down at the table occupied by Shampoo. Mousse hated seeing Shampoo so depressed, he wanted desperately to be able to take Shampoo's pain away but he was smart enough to know that the only thing he could do right now was either piss Shampoo off or try and take her mind off of her troubles. "At times like these I usually find myself thinking about home." He paused and smiled as Shampoo looked at him. "I'd remember waking up and looking outside my window, seeing the sun just rising above the tree line, bathing everything in an almost heavenly glow. Then I would make my way towards the village, smiling and waving at everyone I'd pass. Everyone always seemed to be doing something. The children would be running errands, laughing and playing as they went. Before I would reach the center of the village I would always stop and try and take in the entire scenery, hoping that I would never forget it."  
  
Mousse paused again and looked at Shampoo. She had leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed and a serene look on her face. He knew she was imagining almost the exact same thing.  
  
"Once I reached the center of the village I would always find Cologne going through some morning exercises with some of the more dedicated fighters. No matter what day it was I could always count on you being there. I would watch contently for awhile but I would get restless and make my way towards the group. I'd always move in beside you so that meant removing the person beside you, which was usually by means of tossing them away. After awhile I guess everyone got it through their heads and would always leave the spot next to you open."  
  
Shampoo opened her eyes and stared at the smiling Mousse in surprise.  
  
"I always wondered about that."  
  
"Yeah, the combined efforts of watching you, the ghoul, and doing all the exercises was quite exhausting so I would usually make some comment about the old ghoul along the lines of 'how can that old crone manage to keep going when people ten times less her age are collapsing from exhaustion?', which would cause Cologne to stop the exercises in order to introduce my head to the ground at an alarming speed."  
  
Shampoo found herself giggling uncontrollably which soon turned into heartfelt laughter as Mousse joined in.  
  
"Thank you Mousse," Shampoo said, switching back to Japanese. "That very nice thing you do for Shampoo."  
  
"It was my pleasure," Mousse said, smiling at the girl that he loved with every fiber of his being.  
  
Shampoo smiled back and thought to herself, if this was what life without Ranma would be like, than maybe it would not be as hard as she thought.  
  
===============  
  
"Are you okay Miss Ukyo?" Konatsu asked. He had followed Ukyo throughout the entire estate and he felt quite exhausted. Partnered with the fact that the Kuno estate was a virtual maze, and the kunoichi had no idea where they were. This made following Ukyo all the more harder.  
  
Ukyo had no idea where they were or where she was headed, all she did know was that she had to keep running. As if that by running she could get away from all the problems and truths that she had been forced to see.  
  
Getting tired of the kunoichi's presence Ukyo wheeled around and glared at Konatsu. "You can't take a hint very well can you?"  
  
Despite Ukyo's prominent anger, Konatsu smiled cheerfully for her. "I am only concerned for your well-being Miss Ukyo. And if everything is alright then we should start to head back."  
  
Ukyo turned her back to Konatsu and spoke sharply. "Everything is, not, alright Konatsu."  
  
"Then may I ask what is wrong?" the kunoichi asked as softly as possible.  
  
Ukyo hesitated before turning around to face him. She knew he had feelings for her, and the thing bothering her was her relationship with Ranma. But the fact that the only other options she had were to confide in Nabiki and Kuno made Ukyo's reluctance fade.  
  
Konatsu's smile was infectious and Ukyo found herself smiling too.  
  
"Now Konatsu," Ukyo said, surprising herself with happiness in her voice, "I can't very well have a serious conversation with you when you cute smile keeps distracting me."  
  
Konatsu dropped the smile and adopted a serious look. But inside he was ecstatic. Ukyo had called him cute; the rational part of his mind quickly bashed the thought away. Ukyo needed him right now; he could not be bothered by such trivial thoughts right now.  
  
"Is this about what Nabiki said?"  
  
Sadness immediately overwhelmed Ukyo and she had to lean against the wall, lest she fall over. Ukyo had known some of the minor points in Ranma and the others trip to China, but the bigger details were conveniently left out of the story. But now she knew everything. Instead of Ranma simply winning a fight at the end, she now knew that Ranma had not simply won he had fought with his entire soul, sending an icy blast through Saffron's body, sending the demi-god to the afterlife (if only for a few moments) and only so he could save Akane, not for the cure.  
  
And now, instead of the Phoenix people leaving and the others coming home right after the fight, now the story went that the Phoenix people stood in silence watching as Ranma cried over Akane's body. The rest Nabiki had directly quoted from Ryoga, "And then Ranma cried out, he screamed Akane's name. I had never imagined that one cry could carry such pain. But the gods must have heard Ranma's cry and felt his anguish, and they must have realized that to take her from him, after he fought so hard for her, would be the cruelest of acts. So they sent her back, they returned her to him."  
  
Once Ukyo heard this she realized that Ranma was lost to her, no, he had always been lost to her, even in the beginning.  
  
Ukyo's whole body was wracked with sobs. She vaguely noted that she was no longer leaning against the wall, instead she was being held in a warm embrace. The person that held her to his chest so tenderly was Konatsu. He was whispering into her ear, over and over again, "Its okay, everything's going to be okay."  
  
A small part of Ukyo's mind wondered if that could be true, but the thought went unnoticed. All that mattered was she needed to cry, and a warm shoulder was infinitely better than a pillow.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter introduces the character Phillip Sheridan Parker IV. This character is not an original creation, though I will be basing everything about him on my own creation. The character is from the Brotherhood of War series, created by W. E. B. Griffin. I recommend that everyone that enjoys stories about the military to check that series out. I am using this character without the approval of Mr. Griffin, and I hope that he doesn't mind.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I hope everyone has been reviewing the story. 


	16. Journey Chapter 9 Political Battles

Journey Chapter 9 Political Battles  
  
Minoru and Kimura took their seats at one of the unoccupied booths inside the café. The place seemed cozy enough so they decided to order some coffee.  
  
"It seems that our guest is not here," Minoru observed once the waitress was out of earshot.  
  
"It would be just like Koga to be late," Kimura added bitterly.  
  
Minoru nodded his agreement. Koga was a political officer for the Politburo, as well as one of the biggest black market operatives in China. Minoru almost always found himself comparing the man to Toshi. They were both highly skilled and effective in the underworld, but that seemed to be the limit in which the two were alike. While Toshi had used his intelligence to gain power, Koga had used his sheer amount of resources to overpower anyone that tried to oppose him. Toshi had refused to cooperate with the Oyabun or any other Kyodai, but Koga was always willing to kiss some ass. Minoru had to respect Koga for that, but if he had his way, Koga would be the next in line for elimination right after Seiji Inafune.  
  
Minoru's eyes were again drawn to Kimura's left hand, towards the tip of his index finger, which was significantly shorter that the others. He was going crazy trying to figure out just what the hell Kimura could have done to warrant that sort of response from the Oyabun.  
  
His curiosity got the better of him and asked, earning a look that could have frozen the boiling tea they had been served. Kimura replied that the matter was of no concern to Minoru. Minoru replied that since he was a Yakuza clan member he had a right to know. After two minutes of silence Minoru was about to go onto other business when Kimura spoke up.  
  
"It happened after you were given the assignment to work for Maruyama. The Oyabun was having a special dinner and he said that he would appreciate it if I would come. I went along, and was introduced to his daughter, Mariko, who had just turned twenty one. We got to talking and eventually the other guests drifted out of the room and we were all alone. She told me that there was something in her room that she wanted to show me."  
  
Minoru's eyebrows shot up and his mouth opened. "My god."  
  
"Yes," Kimura nodded gravely, "it was not something she wanted to show me, it was something she wanted to do to me. And I, the ever naïve fool, followed her." He shook his head sadly. "It turns out I was her first."  
  
"What did you do after?" Minoru asked, horrified.  
  
"I tried to run," Kimura said shamefully. "But she threw herself at me and started to cry. The Oyabun had decided that she was going to marry a Kyodai from Hokkaido, in an effort to improve relations. She begged me to stay."  
  
"So what did you do?"  
  
"I stayed," Kimura nearly whispered. "I held her in my arms as she cried," Kimura looked thoughtful for a second, "she told me she loved me."  
  
Minoru nearly choked on his tea.  
  
"I told her that she was a fool and I laughed. The hurt look that she gave me was enough to make any man break down. She told me to get the hell out, but I couldn't do something like that, not when she as hurting so much."  
  
Minoru was speechless. When he had first met the Oyabun's daughter he had gotten the impression that she was a frigid bitch, even if she did have a great piece of ass. Now he was hearing that she had slept with Kimura, four years his senior, in a matter of two hours after meeting him. It was not the fact that Kimura had slept with Maiko that angered him, it was because the girl had blatantly turned down his own advances. Minoru was twenty four years old, solidly built with a runner's body. He considered himself handsome, but Minoru was smart enough to realize that that when compared to Kimura, he may as well have been a gargoyle. Kimura was the sort of man that the military would put on a recruiting poster. His face was something that you'd expect on a movie star, and his body was a reflection of a life spent doing hard labor as a soldier within the Yakuza.  
  
Minoru was snapped from his brooding when he realized that Kimura was talking again.  
  
"-ped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head, I asked her how she could possibly love me if I had only met her a few hours ago. She said she didn't know but she loved me nonetheless."  
  
"So the Oyabun found out huh?" Minoru asked, some humility touching his voice. Luckily for him, Kimura was too distracted by his thoughts to notice.  
  
"Not at first," Kimura said, "but after three months I think he began to be a little suspicious. And then, the week before we had decided to elope, I was called before the Oyabun. When I got to his office I was ambushed and beaten with bats by his bodyguards. After that they proceeded to stomp and kick me until I was near unconsciousness. I couldn't even stand so they picked me up by the neck. I was thrown into a chair and the Oyabun, very calmly told me that if I ever touched his daughter again he would kill me and put Mariko through what he just did to me."  
  
"There was no doubt that he would do it so I had to agree. I tried to leave, thinking that that was it, when I was roughly forced back to the chair again. I began to protest but I was soon quieted when the Oyabun held a combat knife in front of me," Kimura's words became cold with barely concealed fury. "I knew what was coming so I simply held out my hand. He slowly slid the knife across my flesh, drawing blood. A gasp escaped my throat and as it did so, one of the men holding me threw a punch, connecting with my jaw. The Oyabun dug the knife in deeper and again I cried out, earning another punch. This continued until the knife was positioned halfway through the bone of my finger, at this point the knife was withdrawn. Instead of finishing the job with the knife, the Oyabun began to twist and pull on my finger, slowly ripping the flesh and finally, snapping the bone."  
  
Minoru cringed, though he felt that Kimura had deserved such disciplinary action, to receive it in such a barbaric way was a little too much for him.  
  
"I past out from the pain and when I next awoke I was in a hospital. A note was sitting on a tray beside me, once I read it I knew my life was over. When I was fully recovered, the Oyabun would send for me, and I would live the rest of my days within the Yakuza."  
  
Kimura was silent after and Minoru had no words of comfort for him. Minoru was beginning to understand just why Kimura no longer seemed to have the look of mischief that used to always be in his eyes. He was interrupted from further thoughts when a short swarthy Chinese man approached the table.  
  
"I'm sorry comrades, I had some previous business that needed my immediate attention," the man said as he slid into the booth, beside Kimura.  
  
"It is alright Koga, we have not waited that long," Minoru said with feigned respect. "So what was so important that it needed your immediate attention?"  
  
Koga smiled, it was meant to show his amusement, but instead it succeeded in creeping Minoru and Kimura out.  
  
"After your meeting with Toji I received a call from him. It seems he didn't want to wait for the approval of the other distributors on the assassination of Seiji Inafune. I owed him a favor so I discreetly called some friends in the Politburo and alerted them to the fact that there were five Japanese citizens traveling within China on diplomatic passports with absolutely no relation to any diplomatic or government agency."  
  
"You had better be joking Koga," Minoru's voice carried a deadly edge to it.  
  
Koga was not a man that could be intimidated easily by any man under him so he rose to the challenge.  
  
"I believe that I have proven myself to not be the kind of person that would not kid around on subjects that directly affect the state. Now if you are finished with your unnecessary questions I will continue."  
  
Minoru glared at Koga but remained silent. He was smart enough to realize that if he were to arouse the man's anger he would be facing a man that had the political support of the Politburo.  
  
"Well, to my surprise the Defense Minister sent a Special Forces team to arrest them. They shut off the power to the Underground Dragon and entered the train that Seiji and his friends boarded. But it seems that such a thing could not contain the man and he escaped through a faulty window."  
  
"Damn that fool!" Minoru nearly shouted. "If the Politburo were to capture Seiji they would be able to find out everything about the Yakuza, bringing the entire clan to their knees in front of the Chinese."  
  
Minoru and Kimura were startled when Koga started to laugh.  
  
"I don't find any bit of this funny Koga," Minoru growled.  
  
"Comrades, I don't think you completely understand what's going on. If the Politburo were to capture Seiji Inafune they would hand them over to the Yakuza without a word."  
  
Minoru and Kimura shared a puzzled expression on their faces.  
  
"Perhaps you should explain what you mean Koga," Kimura said, speaking up for the first time since Koga arrived. "And I think it would be best if we found a more secure location."  
  
Koga nodded his agreement and got up from the table, leaving enough money to cover the bill and for a healthy tip.  
  
"Perhaps you gentleman would like to join me on a walk through the streets," Koga said.  
  
"That would be for the best," Kimura said following him with Minoru close behind.  
  
The person in the booth next to the three quickly finished scanning the café for any other people leaving with them. He paid his bill and threw his coat on, following the others from a short distance.  
  
===============  
  
Koga offered the others a cigarette, and was declined, he shrugged and retrieved a match with which he lit up. The three had ended up walking down the residential areas of Xining, moving at a pace that was neither quick nor slow. Unbeknownst to them the man from the restaurant was keeping up his own pace but kept several meters back, lest he become noticed.  
  
"Taiwan's President is making an official visit to the United States this month," Koga said as he exhaled the smoke. "It has been reported that Lee's intentions to visit his alma mater, Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. Beijing does not believe for a second that this is true, they think that he is going to promote Taiwan's independence."  
  
"What does that have to do with the Yakuza, China and Taiwan have always been at each others throats," Minoru said.  
  
China and Taiwan are what most people would call a situation bound for civil war. Taiwan has historically been part of China. After Japan lost World War II, the Chinese regained control of Taiwan. When the Nationalists lost a civil war against Mao Tse-tung's Communist forces, they fled to Taiwan. With U.S support the Nationalists set up a government-in-exile. China has regarded Taiwan as a renegade province ever since.  
  
As time went on, Taiwan has joined and been suspended from many international agencies, which is a result of mainland China's influence. Nations wishing to enjoy trade and diplomatic relations with China must first, in a bow to Beijing, renounce official ties with Taiwan. The United States took the pledge in 1978, agreeing to tow a carefully scripted policy line: "There is only one China and Taiwan is a part of China." But even though the United Stated took this pledge they have enjoyed a close relationship with Taiwan, supplying them with defensive weapons. But because of the "One China" policy, Taiwan has been denied membership in the United Nations.  
  
The bad blood between Taiwan and China has escalated in the past years with Taiwan starting its own presidential elections, and China retaliating by holding massive military war games on Taiwan's soil. This action by Beijing is to show that if the people of Taiwan were to vote against China, then the next time they see these weapons, they will not be there for demonstration. This type of effort by Beijing proved successful and they have continued to do so as election time rolls near.  
  
The support for Taiwanese nationalists had fallen to 51 percent after the previous election, and the Pro-Beijing faction tripled their seats in parliament. With Taiwan declaring that they would hold their direct legislative elections in the winter of 1995, Beijing has escalated their efforts to persuade the people of Taiwan.  
  
"It has everything to do with them but I cannot explain that at this time, so instead I will explain to you just why I have brought this matter to you," Koga took a deep breath and paused, collecting the facts in his mind. "Beijing is going to try and take Taiwan back with force."  
  
His admission was greeted with stunned silence; Koga took another drag on his cigarette and discarded it. He reached into an inside pocket of his overcoat and retrieved to thin pieces of paper, and handed them to Minoru and Kimura.  
  
He waited in silence as the two Yakuza members scanned the document, not noticing the man that crossed the street and took off at a sprint once he rounded the corner.  
  
===============  
  
Ishii stopped to collect his thoughts. It was bad enough that he had found out that Minoru was the person that had been putting all the heat on Seiji, but to overhear a matter of international proportions was too much for him to handle. He needed to find Seiji and find him fast.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: China and Taiwan have had a very turbulent relationship for the past fifty years. There have been constant attempts by the Politburo to try and get Taiwan to return to the mainland. This has helped inspire the rest of the events of this story. 


	17. Journey Chapter 10 Danger Signal

Journey Chapter 10 Danger Signal  
  
(Note: Signifies a person speaking in English.)  
  
Happosai bounded across the rooftop with Cologne close behind.  
  
"So have you thought of something we could do to get Dr. Tofu to take that thing?" Happosai asked without breaking stride.  
  
"I was thinking that maybe we could use some pressure points on his throat to try and loosen up his larynx muscles," Cologne replied.  
  
"Well I sure hope this is going to work then, cause were to need his skills if we even want a chance of keeping everybody safe," Happosai said as he jumped and landed in the inside the wall that surrounded the Tendo house.  
  
As Cologne came down beside him, Nodoka appeared around the corner and spotted them.  
  
"Hi you two," she greeted, "are you passing through or can you stay for supper?"  
  
"Actually were here to see Dr. Tofu, Nodoka," Happosai said. Cologne smacked Happosai over the head. He turned in irritation but saw that Cologne was addressing Nodoka.  
  
"Did you say you were having supper now Mrs. Saotome?" Cologne asked.  
  
"Yes," Nodoka nodded, "Kasumi was just finishing things up. And please, just call me Nodoka."  
  
Cologne turned to Happosai and whispered into his ear. "I think there may be a way for us to get Tofu to eat the pill/"  
  
Happosai looked at Cologne incredulously but offered no opinion of his own.  
  
Cologne turned back to face Nodoka and put on what she hoped was a pleasant smile. "Thank you Nodoka," Cologne said. "We would very much appreciate dinner."  
  
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, "I'll go help Kasumi bring everything in and you can take your seats at the table."  
  
They found Dr. Tofu seated at the table, reading some papers. He looked up when he noticed Cologne and Happosai's presence.  
  
"Well hello you two," Tofu greeted. "I take it your being here means you be staying for dinner."  
  
"Yes doctor," Cologne smiled, "Nodoka was kind enough to invite us."  
  
Tofu smiled at her and went back to reading the papers laid out on the table.  
  
"What are you reading there?" Happosai asked, moving to sit beside Tofu at the table.  
  
"I was just reviewing Ranma's most recent medical files to see if I could try and pinpoint a time when Ranma may reach his breaking point," Tofu explained, not unkindly.  
  
"I see, and how have things been since we were last here?" Happosai inquired.  
  
"Oh fine, fine. Soun and Genma have pretty much moved into the Dojo, it seems they are intent on doing some major training. I don't believe they will be able to move around much tomorrow though, there muscles will be as stiff as a board."  
  
"And how have things been with Kasumi?" Cologne asked.  
  
Tofu immediately began to fidget and there was a hint that his glasses were about to fog.  
  
"S-she's just fine. I-I've been keeping o-out of her way the w-whole afternoon, lest I m-make a nuisance of myself," Tofu stammered out.  
  
Happosai shook his head resignedly and glanced over at Cologne, who had taken a seat on the other side of Dr. Tofu. She bore the same look that was on Happosai's face, helplessness. But even if they were forced to use the "pill" they had brought, Cologne still felt that before they did anything they would need to have Tofu's spoken consent. She was about to say something when Happosai beat her to it.  
  
"So things between you and the girl are still on the same terms?" Happosai didn't wait for a response. "It's such a shame that there isn't some sort of remedy for your condition."  
  
Dr. Tofu, after a visible effort to regain his composure, smiled at Happosai. "If there was only such a convenient thing my friend, I don't think the gods themselves could stop me from getting it."  
  
Cologne and Happosai smirked and had the exact same thought. That would be all the consent they needed.  
  
But how to go about getting Ono to take the pill? Cologne asked herself. He was surely going to reject the offer if he was to see the size of the "pill".  
  
Genma and Soun joined them and, after a few moments, greeted the two martial arts masters.  
  
Happosai was about to issue a reprimand when Nodoka and Kasumi walked in, setting down their dinner.  
  
Cologne watched intently as each entrée was revealed. As Kasumi unveiled the rice balls, a smile lit up Cologne's face. It would be so easy, Cologne told herself. All she had to was roll the pill around in the rice and create her very own, if large, rice ball. But she still needed to solve the problem of getting Tofu to swallow the pill whole.  
  
A glance at Happosai confirmed that he was forming the same plan as her. She nodded once he saw her staring at him and turned to look up at Dr. Tofu. Unfortunately for them, Dr. Tofu had his attention focused on Kasumi, and he was showing the first telltale signs of a Tofu meltdown. They needed to act now or he would be too far gone for them to make any sort of attempt at this.  
  
"You know Dr. Tofu," Cologne began, gaining the doctors and everyone else's attention, "I was just wondering about your knowledge of pressure points. I seem to recall the time when you used that 'Tokyo Grandpa Point' to counteract my 'Full-body Cat Tongue' shiatsu that I had used on Ranma."  
  
Ono was more or less back to normal, as he could no longer look at Kasumi while he was looking down at Cologne.  
  
"Yes, I have studied them for a good number of years. I learned most of them during my residency," Tofu told her. A residency is when a newly turned doctor is shown all the things that a doctor must deal with at hospitals. This usually includes working thirty six hours straight and making decisions that could save a persons life when you have been on your feet for almost twelve hours.  
  
"Hmm, I wonder if you would let me try a new pressure point that I have been working on."  
  
Ono looked at her for a moment before he smiled and nodded. He turned his head to give Cologne access to the points and was very careful to keep his gaze from moving to Kasumi.  
  
Cologne stood on her staff and reached towards Tofu's neck as she quickly slipped Happosai the "pill". With everyone paying rapt attention to Cologne and Dr. Tofu, Happosai was free to roll the pill over the sticky rice. Once it was completely covered, the "pill" resembled a large rice ball. He set the rice covered pill and looked up and saw Cologne press two different points on Tofu's neck. One was to make the doctor's larynx muscles relax and allow for the pill to move down his throat without causing serious problems, and the other point was to enable his saliva glands, ensuring that the "rice ball" would not get caught in his throat.  
  
"Now, Cologne said once she was finished, "to demonstrate how these pressure points work, I will now give Dr. Tofu a rice ball, which he will swallow, whole."  
  
Everyone gasped and looked at the rice ball Happosai handed to Dr. Tofu.  
  
"Are you sure that is wise?" Soun asked. The rice ball was huge and it looked very stiff.  
  
"Yes, I know what I'm doing Mr. Tendo," Cologne smiled reassuringly.  
  
Tofu looked at the rice ball in doubt. But he shrugged it off and popped it into his mouth.  
  
Cologne and Happosai traded looks of success as they watched the "pill" make its way down Tofu's throat.  
  
The others applauded Tofu. He took a bow and raised his eye's while in mid-bow, looking straight at Kasumi. Her angelic face and beautiful smile floored the poor doctor, as it always did.  
  
This did not escape the notice of Cologne, but she simply thought that this would be an easier way for them to see how the drug would affect Ono.  
  
Tofu started laughing and turned to look at Happosai, who smiled at him. But his smile was erased from his face when Tofu suddenly threw a punch at him. Happosai was caught off guard and was forced to parry the attack as he jumped backwards as Tofu did a follow up sweeping kick.  
  
"What are you doing Ono!?" Happosai shouted.  
  
Tofu did not even react to Happosai's shouts. He charged after him, smashing his fist through the wall panels.  
  
Cologne watched Tofu's face and quickly observed that the smile that had previously been on his face was still there. A closer inspection proved that Tofu had what appeared to be a hysterical glint in his eyes.  
  
Happosai found himself retreating from the doctor. Despite his well- renowned evilness, even Happosai could not bring himself to strike Dr. Tofu. He didn't want to lead him over to where the others were sitting, lest the doctor change his focus to Cologne or Kasumi, so the martial arts master began to parry the attack, or block, whenever Tofu caught him off guard.  
  
"Don't just stand there Cologne!" Happosai shouted. "Find out what the hells the matter with him!"  
  
That broke Cologne out of her revere and she quickly asked where the nearest phone was.  
  
===============  
  
Shampoo quickly moved into the kitchen when she heard the phone ringing.  
  
"Nihao, Cat Café, Shampoo is speaking."  
  
*Shampoo* Cologne's voice came over the line. *Where is Mousse?*  
  
"He upstairs great-grandmother," Shampoo said.  
  
*Alright, I need him to go into my room and find the instructions to the hormone decreaser. It should be on the floor.*  
  
Shampoo set the receiver down and quickly called upstairs to Mousse. Once he called back down Shampoo dashed back to the phone.  
  
"I tell him great-grandmother."  
  
*Good.*  
  
There followed a moment where neither said a word, until Mousse's voice came onto the line.  
  
*Alright ghoul, I've got the instructions right here.*  
  
*Watch your tone boy!* Cologne said sharply. *Now read me off everything on it.*  
  
Mousse read off all the instructions but they were of no help to Cologne. She was about to hang up when Mousse started talking again.  
  
*Oh, there was something written on the back. Says here that the person receiving the pill should not be in the immediate vicinity of the person his affection is for. If they are in the same room together, than the receiver of the pill will enter a state of hyper-arousal and most likely attack the occupants of the room.*  
  
*Dear gods,* Cologne breathed. *What should you do if that does occur?*  
  
*If the person does go into a state of hyper-arousal and attack everyone in the room than it would be in everyone's best interest that those nearest this person attempt to render him unconscious.*  
  
===============  
  
Cologne didn't bother saying any goodbyes; she simply slammed the receiver down and ran back to where everyone else was.  
  
Happosai was still fending off Tofu's attacks, and the wall behind Happosai had taken many punches which. Tofu didn't even seem to be tiring, even though he had been making a continuous assault for over six minutes.  
  
Nodoka and Kasumi had been moved behind Soun and Genma, just in case Tofu did decide to choose another target.  
  
Cologne jumped at Tofu and used the pointy end of her staff to hit a point on Tofu's neck, making the enraged doctor slump to the floor.  
  
Happosai walked over to the doctor and cautiously checked his pulse. Tofu's heart was beating far above the rate that a man should be capable of.  
  
"Let's move him to another room," Happosai calmly suggested.  
  
They moved Tofu to another room, while Cologne explained what happened. This caused Kasumi to blush and Happosai to reprimand Cologne for not reading all the instructions.  
  
Kasumi opted to stay with the doctor, while everyone else retired to the table once again, to finish off their supper, before it grew any colder.  
  
===============  
  
"So what are we going to do now?" Ranma asked, once Seiji and Parker came back.  
  
After the car dropped them off at the embassy, the four Japanese youths decided to go in. Luckily for them, Parker had made arrangements and some staff led them to a room where they could relax. A few staff people stayed and gave them some dinner.  
  
"Well, we know now that either the Politburo knows of our location and has decided that they would like to have a word for us, or the Yakuza have taken out a very large sum of money for our heads," Seiji told them, then continued, "But I am worried for Ishii at the moment, I have not heard from him for at least four hours and he was supposed to check in with me at least every two."  
  
"So does that mean were going to be going to look for him?" Ryoga asked. The faster they were out of Beijing the better.  
  
"I think that would be for the best," Parker said. "And it would also be for the best if I came along. Never know when you're going to need a military man in the Chinese wilderness."  
  
"Do you think that is wise Phillip?" Seiji asked. "I don't know if the military would think very much of you helping out six Japanese criminals on the run from Chinese authority."  
  
"Well, then maybe I'll turn you guys in then and collect the ransom myself," Parker said with a smile. "But your right about that Seiji, I'd better call my dad to see exactly how much I can assist you guys."  
  
Phil walked over a phone sitting on a table and turned to the embassy personnel.  
  
"Is this phone secure?"  
  
"Yes sir," the attendant said. "It's a STU-6." (The most secure type phone in production inside the United States.)  
  
Parker nodded his thanks and picked up the receiver, he dialed a number by memory and waited. There followed a few seconds of static which most people would think was just that, static. But it was actually the phone encrypting itself.  
  
Someone picked up on the other line.  
  
"Hi John, this is Phil," Parker said in English. There followed a few seconds where the other person said something. It evoked a chuckle from Parker.  
  
"Okay, John, but I did call for a reason; I need my dad's office number."  
  
"Thanks, say hi to the other guys there for me, bye," Phil hung up and immediately picked up the receiver, dialed another number and turned to face the others.  
  
"I just hate bureaucracies, they always wait for the at least ten seconds before answering the phone, it makes them feel like they have some kind of power over the caller." He turned back to the phone. "What the hell?"  
  
"What is it?" Akari asked, surprising everyone in the room by saying it in English. "What?"  
  
Seiji looked at her with a quizzical eyebrow raised. "And where did you learn to speak English my dear?"  
  
Akari blushed and said in a quiet voice, "From my grandpa. He taught me because we sometimes would do business with people from out of country and he said that learning their language would help the deals."  
  
"And how long did he teach you?" Seiji asked in English.  
  
"For about five years, I can speak and write fluently but it was an easy language to learn," Akari told him.  
  
"Director of Operations!?" Parker roared. "What the hell is this?"  
  
"What's wrong Phillip?" Seiji asked.  
  
Parker turned to look at him. "I dialed the number for my dad's office and some secretary just answered the phone, 'Director of Operations' Mr. Parker's office, how may I help you?'"  
  
Parker turned back to the phone and started speaking very rapidly.  
  
Ranma tugged on Seiji's sleeve, the conversation had completely left the other Japanese teenagers in the dark. "What's going on Seiji?"  
  
"Well, Phil has gotten a hold of his father but it seems that instead of being a paper pusher at the Pentagon, he is the DO at CIA," Seiji saw their confused looks. "The Pentagon is a building where most of America's war plan's and operations are started. The CIA, Central Intelligence Agency, is where America gathers its intelligence from. The DO is the man that overlooks all the operations that field officers do so they can either bring agents out of countries or try and recruit one."  
  
The others were still confused but they decided that they would just get further confused if they asked more questions.  
  
So I can go with them for now?" Parker asked the phone. "Okay, I'll tell him, thanks dad," Phil hung up.  
  
"So?" Seiji asked.  
  
Phil turned to them, looking a little confused himself. "I can come with you guys but I'm going to have to report to him every day, and under no circumstances am I allowed to interact with any Chinese person that I come across."  
  
"Alright then, so should we leave now?" Seiji asked.  
  
Phil shook his head. "No, it would be best if we stayed the night here first, it might not be wise to leave if the Chinese are this worried about your presences. I'll go work out some of the details with the ambassador and you guys just stay here."  
  
Parker left with the other attendants.  
  
Seiji walked over to a couch and collapsed onto it with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"This has turned out to be one hell of a day huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "I don't really know what's going on right now Seiji, but I can tell this is all really big."  
  
"Your right Ranma, even I think I'm over my head right now," Seiji said. "But for now I think were going to be safe, Phil is going to come with us to Jusenkyo and because he's an American, I think were going to be able to move much faster. Most PLA soldiers or policeman will be very reluctant to try and detain an American, unless they can prove that he's really some kind of spy."  
  
"I don't mean to sound rude Seiji but, who the hell is that Parker guy?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Seiji smiled. "Well, I think I should start at the beginning, when I met his dad in Vietnam. I was in Vietnam as a translator, because at the beginning of the war there were not a lot of Americans that spoke Vietnamese so I was assigned as a translator for some of the Green Beret's that they sent over. I met Phillip's father that way and we became friends. I can't tell you about anything we did over there because most of it's complicated and classified. But after the war, I went to America with Phil and I met his family. We remained in close contact until I went back to Japan around `86, then we had a falling out period because of my involvement with the Yakuza. But I guess he knew more about what I've been doing than I thought. Because I don't know how we would have been able to get out of that subway if it wasn't for Phillip. He really takes after his father."  
  
"I know that Phil can come across as a real smart-ass but if you really get to know him, you'll see the gentle person he actually is."  
  
"Gentle? That guy looks like he could give Ryoga a run for his money in the brute strength category," Ranma said.  
  
"Well that's true, but Phil's from a long line of military men, the past four generations if I'm to understand correctly. So you can expect that he's going to be everything that the army looks for. But I want you guys to know that Phil is going to help us out a lot with us getting to Jusenkyo."  
  
The others nodded, and at that moment Phil came walking in.  
  
"Alright you guys, I've got everything straightened out here. Were all going to have to stay in this room for tonight, which will make it a little crowded but it's the best I can do. Now, since we've escaped certain death from the hands of the evil Chinese communists, I think I would like to hear a little about all of you."  
  
Parker went around asking everyone their name and date of birth. He stopped at Seiji. He smiled and turned to look at the others.  
  
"I understand that the last person to ask Seiji his age wound up in a body cast for a month so I think we should just all go with the assumption that Seiji is a twenty four year old swinger."  
  
That made everyone laugh, and Phil decided to tell them about himself.  
  
"I am twenty seven years old; I've been in the military ever since I was seventeen. I weigh one-ninety-six and am five-foot-eleven. I'm a captain in the United States Military. I'm not married, but I think that problem will go away with me being in the company of such lovely ladies," he said with a wink in Akane and Akari's direction.  
  
"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, how about you four tell me why you've decided to come to China."  
  
Ranma related the story of Jusenkyo and, because Phil started laughing non-stop, dumped the contents of a nearby vase over his head. Parker found this fascinating and quickly got a bunch of buckets filled with hot and cold water and liberally doused Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"Wow, that's some weird curse you got there, but I'm sure it comes in handy sometimes though."  
  
"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "This body is great for getting some free eats or trying to attract attention."  
  
Ryoga muttered something under his breath.  
  
"What was that piggy?" Ranma asked coldly.  
  
Ryoga snarled at Ranma. "You think you've got a curse when your body gets you some free eats and my cursed self only gets me a one way ticket to the bottom of a pot by some crazed chef."  
  
Parker gagged and looked at Ryoga in horror. "You mean some people have actually tried to eat you?"  
  
"Yeah, and it's happened far too often for my liking," Ryoga said.  
  
Parker could tell that it was a bad subject so he quickly changed it. "So," he said, turning to the girls, "are any of you dating."  
  
Akane blushed and Akari smiled. "Actually, were dating those two fools right there," Akari said, pointing to Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"Not dating, were engaged," Ryoga said proudly.  
  
Parker walked over to Akari and looked at her hand. "Wow, how can you even manage to lift your hand up?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Akari asked.  
  
He pointed to the ring on her finger. "That thing's bigger than the iceberg the Titanic hit."  
  
Akari giggled, she was really beginning to like Parker.  
  
Seiji's cell phone began to ring, and he quickly answered it.  
  
"Hello?" There followed a few seconds. "Ishii, why the hell didn't you call earlier?"  
  
Everyone moved closer to Seiji so they could hear well.  
  
*Minoru's been giving the other Kyodai here all the information they want on you, and he's been talking to some Politburo members.*  
  
"Are you serious?" Seiji asked.  
  
*But that's not the worst part Seiji, the Chinese have-*  
  
The phone cut out and Seiji was greeted by silence.  
  
"What the hell?" Seiji asked no one in particular.  
  
===============  
  
Ishii cursed; his cell phone chose that moment to go out. God must have been against him. He needed a way to talk to Seiji but he was in Xining, a mining town. He was bound to encounter some trouble if Minoru, Kimura, or Koga were to find out that he was here. His best option was to get out of Xining, but where would he go. Maybe he could go to that Jusenkyo place and wait for Seiji and the others to get there.  
  
Ishii didn't notice that he was being followed, and he didn't notice when that person withdrew a cell phone of his own and dialed a number.  
  
===============  
  
"He's probably okay Seiji, his cell phone probably conked out," Parker said.  
  
"But he was trying to tell me something about the Chinese. It sounded important, and Ishii also sounded scared."  
  
No one had anything to say about that.  
  
"I think it would be best if we went to Xining as fast as possible. Were going to need to get there without any more delays."  
  
"I don't know if we'll be able to get you guys onto an airplane again without someone noticing though," Parker said.  
  
"Don't worry," Ranma said with a sly grin, "I've got the perfect idea."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: The first time my wife released this chapter a review was written explaining that Cologne was far too smart to make the mistake that she made in this chapter. Well, I responded in the next chapter that Cologne is not as brilliant as she seems. She forgot that Happosai knew the Heaven-Blast of the Dragon when she was teaching it to Ranma when he was weakened by the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion. She also left the Reversal Jewel out in her jewelry collection for Shampoo to use, while this ended up working in her favor, it could have very easily backfired.  
  
I hope everyone has enjoyed the story so far, and I hope that everyone has been reviewing it. 


	18. Journey Chapter 11 Getting Closer

Journey Chapter 11 Getting Closer  
  
Ryoga yawned; sleeping on a fold out couch with a very large muscular black man beside you was not the best way to sleep. It was probably one A.M. He rolled over and checked the clock that was situated on the wall. Six A.M, great. They would be getting up in about an hour. Ryoga silently left the make shift bed and slipped out of the room. He was surprised when he was faced with two guards holding guns.  
  
"Can we help you?" one of the guards asked.  
  
"Uh, I was just planning on taking a walk around the place," Ryoga told them truthfully.  
  
"Alright, but stay on this floor and make sure you don't leave."  
  
Ryoga left the corridor and started to look around. He had never seen a building like this. As well traveled as Ryoga was, he didn't get involved with the government of any country, except when he needed a visa to get in their country.  
  
Damn that stupid Ranma, Ryoga thought. The moron's made everyone believe his moronic plan.  
  
Before they had retired for the evening, Ranma had regaled them with his plan on how to get them on another airplane without any of the Chinese knowing that it was them. His plan consisted of using his and Ranma's curse, and making Akane bind her breasts in an attempt to make her look like a man. For Akari, Ranma had suggested that they dress her up like an American and make use of her English skills.  
  
While Ryoga had to admit that he could not think of another way for them to get on the plane without being arrested, which still did not mean he had to like it.  
  
Ryoga checked his surroundings; he was in a very large room with an equally large table. There was a man sitting down at the far end of the table so Ryoga decided to ask for directions.  
  
"Hi," Ryoga greeted. The man looked up. "Uh, do you think you could give me directions?"  
  
The man shook his head and said something in English.  
  
"Oh, you don't speak Japanese," Ryoga said. He frowned and sat down at the table. "I'd better just sit here and wait for my friends then."  
  
The man called out to someone in another room, he turned back to Ryoga and held out his hand. "Basil."  
  
"Ryoga," he took the extended hand and shook it.  
  
A man walked through a swinging door carrying a plate and mug; he set the plate and mug down in front of Ryoga.  
  
"Thank you," Ryoga said, bowing his head. The man smiled and went back to his plate and started to read some documents that were sitting in beside his plate. Ryoga looked down at his own plate, eggs, bacon, and sausages. He smiled to himself.  
  
Well, this is one way to say goodbye to my pig side," Ryoga thought to himself.  
  
===============  
  
Defense Minister Mai Zhisheng was responsible for the defense of his entire country. China was a very large country, but because China had even more money invested in its military than America, the borders could easily be protected. Zhisheng was nearing seventy years of age, and his body showed that clearly. With a life spent on the political end of life, he had never been a very large practitioner of exercise. His face was shallow, and he was losing most of his hair.  
  
He was heading to a meeting with the other Politburo members. The meeting had been called because they were to discuss their recent agreement to return the renegade province to the mainland. It had been too long that Taiwan had been on its own and it was time for them to act.  
  
His driver stopped and quickly got out of the car to hold the door open for Zhisheng. Zhisheng stepped out and walked into the building. His secretary, Bi Zhao, walked along side him as they entered the room. She took her seat at a chair located at the wall, behind her boss. She extracted a note pad; Zhao would be taking notes of this meeting. Zhisheng had told her that this meeting would holds great importance and he would need to ensure that all the other members would be quoted directly in what they were saying.  
  
Everyone looked to the door when Premier Renyang entered. He took his seat at the front of the table.  
  
"Let us get this meeting underway," Renyang said, taking the time to make sure he was comfortable.  
  
Zhisheng cleared his throat, "Comrades, the last time we met we discussed and decided upon the reclaiming of Taiwan. Now I would like us to start planning the steps we will need to take to ensure victory."  
  
Everyone at the table nodded; a sign for him to continue.  
  
"Now, as I told everyone at the last meeting, Taiwan does not have a strong military presence. The few weapons they have are the ones that have been supplied to them by the Americans. If we can carry out this operation without anyone finding out beforehand, we should be able to take Taiwan back without even firing a shot."  
  
That was a lie, but only Zhisheng knew that. The Taiwanese government would fight the invading forces until there last breath. But if Zhisheng could get the approval from Renyang for what he was about to propose, then the province could be claimed without any major resistance.  
  
"But there is a problem," Zhisheng told them. "The Taiwanese president, Lee, will not allow for the mainland to claim his country. In a report that I received this morning, he openly said to his staff and I quote 'Mainland China can make as many threats as they want, but they will not take this country back with petty threats or by staging war games off the coast. They will never live to see Taiwan back under their red flag'."  
  
"And where did you get this information?" That was the Transportation Minister, Ma Jingshu.  
  
"I have a few sources inside President Lee's staff," Zhisheng said casually. "But were going to have to put that aside for now. The reason I had asked Premier Renyang to call this meeting is so that we can discuss another operation that we are trying to stage before we reclaim Taiwan."  
  
They waited for him to continue.  
  
"We all know that President Lee has a meeting planned to visit America next month, and Lee has been proclaiming that this visit is nothing more than a simple trip to visit his old graduating school. But I'm sure you all know that the real reason for Lee's visit is so he can promote Taiwan's independence, which he will do and play off of the American's sense of friendship for democratic nations."  
  
"Does this really pose that big of a threat?" Jingshu asked.  
  
"Yes," Zhisheng nodded, "If Lee is going to make the Americans start to feel sympathy towards Taiwanese independence than were going to be facing a large problem dealing with them. I would expect that they would rise to the defense of Taiwan if we were to invade."  
  
"But America has officially stated that there is one, and only one China," the Premier said.  
  
"That's true," Zhisheng nodded. "But what do you think the Americans will do once they find out we've taken Taiwan back by force when Lee has been passing themselves off as a democratic nation?" He didn't wait for them to answer. "I think we would find ourselves backed into a corner facing a very dangerous enemy. America has been supplying Taiwan with defensive weapons for over a decade. And why are they doing it? So they can keep up their good relations."  
  
"So what are you proposing we do Zhisheng?" Renyang asked.  
  
Zhisheng took a moment to study the faces of all the Politburo members. He saw that they were all waiting intently for him to continue.  
  
"I believe it is in the best interest of the state if this board were to eliminate President Lee."  
  
"You mean assassinate him?" Jingshu asked incredulously.  
  
"If we don't do it than how can we expect to take Taiwan back without getting attacked by the Americans?" another member asked.  
  
"But this is an act of war!" someone protested.  
  
"We were already committed to invade Taiwan, so in that we've already decided to carry out one act of war."  
  
Zhisheng turned and looked at the Premier. Renyang was watching the others bicker. He raised his hands and silenced the room.  
  
"Zhisheng, if we were to assassinate Lee, wouldn't the Americans find out and put us in the same position as before?"  
  
Always were the smart one Renyang, Zhisheng thought.  
  
"Yes it would, but only if we used a Chinese soldier," he told them.  
  
"So were going to use some other country to do this; that would simply allow us to be at the knees of some other country," Jingshu said.  
  
"Did I say I was going to use another country?" Zhisheng asked quietly. The room silenced again. "I have contacted a man in Japan that is willing to do the job for a fair sum. He has agreed to the terms I put in and I have faith that he will carry the operation out."  
  
"So you have gone behind the back of the Politburo and already committed your actions?" the head of the PLA asked angrily.  
  
"No comrade," Zhisheng said, "I have merely found a man to carry out this plan, but I have neither given him conformation nor details upon when he will have to do this."  
  
"And who is this man?" Wei Liang, the head of the PLA asked.  
  
"He is a member of the Japanese Yakuza," Zhisheng told them simply.  
  
"So we are going to do business with petty criminals," Jingshu said, it was a statement, not a question.  
  
"This man is not a real member of the Yakuza; he just does jobs for them on a frequent rate. He has already asked the head Yakuza member and gotten confirmation for him to do this."  
  
"What is his name?" Renyang asked.  
  
"Bai Pinghan."  
  
"He is Chinese?"  
  
"Yes, and a very dedicated Maoist," Zhisheng told them.  
  
"So how is he supposed to assassinate Lee?"  
  
"He is going to travel to Taipei a week before the assassination and map out the area where Lee is going to travel to get to the airport to travel to America. He is going to take a few other Yakuza and wait in some of the buildings that outline the street and when Lee's car comes down the street, they will fire RPG's at the car and the following cars that will be carrying Lee's protective detail. During the ensuing chaos they will escape."  
  
"And what if they are captured, will they not finger us as the real perpetrators of the crime?" Renyang asked.  
  
"They are the Yakuza, they are hated and despised, and everyone will be waiting for the chance to hang them for once and for all," Zhisheng told him. "We should have no worries on that respect."  
  
"Alright," Renyang said as he sat up fully in his chair, "I think this is the right course of action and we will hold a vote of no confidence."  
  
And that was that, no one would dare go against the Premier. Around the table it went and everyone's vote was the same, even Jingshu.  
  
"We will reconvene tomorrow and discuss the finer details," Renyang said, ending the meeting.  
  
===============  
  
Hitomi Yumi had been a Yakuza member for most of his life. He ran away from his home when he was twelve and joined a gang but was soon lured to the Yakuza. After nearly twenty years with the organization he had become a well respected member, arrested over seventeen times. And now he was given the duty to observe a bunch of people involved with Maruyama's death. He had done stuff like this before but he felt that he was above it.  
  
He was assigned to watch whatever ones were at this Tendo Dojo place. It seemed that it was just a bunch of old people and one young couple. The young girl there was very pretty and so was the older woman. It was a shame that they were going to have to kill them, but maybe he could convince the others that it would be far more useful if they kept at least the woman alive.  
  
This group of people would be the easiest to eliminate. All they needed to do was round them up into their Dojo and set the place on fire. It would be a terrible way to die but, once you cross the Yakuza you forfeit your life.  
  
He watched as the young girl walked out of the house with the younger man in tow. You could tell the two liked each other. They joined hands and walked down the street towards downtown.  
  
Yumi decided to follow them; he started his car and drove down the same street they were on. He drove past the couple and parked his car around the corner; he got out and walked down into the market. He walked by a few vendors and then turned around. The man and woman were checking each vendor as they passed, offering a friendly greeting as they did so. Finally the two stopped and picked up what looked to be some fish. They thanked the vendor and started back the way they came.  
  
Yumi didn't bother following them but instead decided to approach the vendor that they had been at.  
  
"Do you know who that couple was?" he asked the vendor.  
  
"That's Kasumi Tendo and Dr. Ono Tofu," the vendor said. "I'm surprised Dr. Tofu could even be near Kasumi let alone hold hands."  
  
Yumi didn't bother listening to the rest; he walked off and got into his car. He started it up and drove away.  
  
So, Kasumi Tendo and Ono Tofu, your lives are not long for this world.  
  
===============  
  
Ukyo was tired. She had spent the past five hours calling places for Nabiki. When Cologne had stopped by and told them that they were going to need a way for everyone to communicate, even when they were on the streets, Nabiki had suggested that Ukyo call up some electronic places and see if she could find some really good cell phones for everyone. Ukyo did just that, and now she was waiting for the manager at the National Mitsubishi store in downtown Tokyo. The moron that answered the phone couldn't understand why she would need ten of their most expensive cell phones.  
  
She glanced over at Konatsu, who was staring outside a window. The Kunoichi was never very good with talking to people over the phone so she couldn't really get him to help.  
  
Konatsu felt Ukyo's eyes on him but didn't bother turning. He needed to think right now and he didn't really want to have to face Ukyo. After he had comforted Ukyo when she had broken down and cried, Konatsu realized that he didn't really know how to approach Ukyo and tell her that he was in love with her. As far as Konatsu knew, Ukyo was still hung up on Ranma and wouldn't even care when he told her.  
  
He sighed and leaned his head against his hand.  
  
===============  
  
Nabiki looked at Kuno incredulously. "Are you insane Kuno?"  
  
"I believe I have control over all my mental abilities Nabiki Tendo."  
  
"But why would you want to go to China?"  
  
"I must find out for myself if Ranma Saotome is truly the man you think him to be and not the ravenous cretin that I think he is," Kuno said.  
  
"Listen to me Kuno, you can't go to China, you don't even know where Ranma and the others are."  
  
"I must find this out myself Nabiki Tendo, if Ranma Saotome is actually an honorable man than I must find him and offer my apologies. I can't have this resting upon my head until he returns; this is something that needs to be done."  
  
"You're insane Kuno," Nabiki said. "Can't you just take my word that Ranma's not the evil man that you have made him out to be?"  
  
"I have learned throughout our entire friendship Nabiki Tendo, that one should note take your word for anything, unless given a proper sum."  
  
Nabiki winced from his words. The jerks right, I haven't done anything that would make him want to trust me.  
  
"Look Kuno-baby," Nabiki said, using the nickname she had come up with for him over ten years ago. "You may be an egotistical moron but I'm going to need you here if were going to protect everyone from those Yakuza bastards alright. Now you are not going to China and that's final!"  
  
Kuno was taken aback by Nabiki's strong words. "If I did not know any better Nabiki Tendo, I would think that you are worried about my well- being."  
  
"Your damn right I am!" Nabiki shouted, then immediately clamped her hand over her mouth.  
  
Kuno's eyes widened and he stared at the girl sitting in front of him. His mind was racing a mile a minute.  
  
Nabiki Tendo just said she cared for me. Does this mean that she loves me? But what about Akane, and the pig-tailed girl. Am I not in love with them and them me? What am I to do?  
  
Nabiki was not much better.  
  
Oh no, what have I done? Now Kuno's going to think I like him and I don't want that. He's probably going to jump up and try and grab me and hug me.  
  
Kuno rose to his feet and cast a sideways glance at Nabiki before retreating from the room.  
  
What? He didn't even try and do anything, Nabiki thought. Wait, what am I thinking? Why the hell should I be disappointed that Kuno didn't try and grab me?  
  
Nabiki rose to her feet as well and left the room. She turned down the hallway and came to the room where Ukyo and Konatsu were.  
  
"Okay, so you'll have them delivered by today? Great, thank you," Ukyo said sweetly into the phone as she hung up. She turned and faced Nabiki.  
  
"You've got your phones."  
  
"Great," Nabiki said without any particular enthusiasm. She walked over to the table Ukyo was at and thumped down in one of the chairs and laid her head down on the table.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Oh just Kuno-baby, the fool thinks that he needs to go to China in order to find out if Ranma is truly as bad he thinks he is," Nabiki said.  
  
"Whoa, does this mean Kuno may actually figure out about Ranma and his curse?" Ukyo asked. She could see that Konatsu was no longer looking out the window, he was looking towards them.  
  
"I don't know," Nabiki said tiredly. "All I know is, I'm confused and I need a drink."  
  
Nabiki got to her feet and walked out of the room, she returned with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. She set the wine bottle on the table and popped the cork.  
  
"Uh, Nabiki?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Yeah Ukyo?" Nabiki asked as she poured the wine into the glasses.  
  
"I'm only seventeen; I'm not old enough to drink."  
  
"Your never to young to try some fine wine my friend, it's like drinking a nice bottle of water, don't gulp it, always savor the drink. Think of it like it's your last. Here," she handed Ukyo the glass and took a sip of her own. Nabiki turned to Konatsu and extended the other glass.  
  
Konatsu shook his head in the negative and was about to turn back to his window when Nabiki spoke.  
  
"Konatsu, you have to drink this, think of it as a little celebratory drink."  
  
Konatsu looked warily at the glass but gave in and took it. He sipped it and smiled, the liquid seemed to warm his insides.  
  
"Thanks Nabiki," he said.  
  
"You're welcome Konatsu, now, how about a toast?" Nabiki said.  
  
"If I will have the honors?" Ukyo said. "My friends, we are in a time where things are tough. Our friends are in a foreign land with enemies after them. We are here with our lives in danger but, at this moment I don't think that any of us could ask for a better time."  
  
"Here, here," Nabiki said, taking a drink. Everyone followed suit.  
  
Konatsu smiled demurely and took another tiny sip of his drink. He let himself enjoy the moment.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This is one of my favorite chapters, at least where dialogue is concerned. My wife doesn't exactly enjoy writing dialogue for the other Tendo sisters and Ukyo, but I think she does a fine job. She is very talented.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, and I hope everyone has been writing reviews. 


	19. Journey Chapter 12 But Not Close Enough

Journey Chapter 12 But Not Close Enough  
  
"What a cute little pig you have," the stewardess said, handing Ranma a spare pillow for the flight.  
  
"Why thank you," Ranma replied. In her arms she held a very annoyed looking pig.  
  
Ranma plopped down in a seat beside Akane and Akari. Akane looked a little uncomfortable, while Akari looked quite happy dressed in her American clothes.  
  
"Jeez Akane, you could have tried deepening your voice a little, that stewardess thought you were some kind of freak," Ranma said as she readjusted the skirt she was wearing.  
  
"And don't you look pretty in your dress Ranma," Akane said snidely.  
  
"Well, when you've got what I've got, you just have to flaunt it," Ranma said laughing.  
  
Akane debated the pros and cons of pounding Ranma but, she instead decided to flip through some magazines.  
  
"Here, let me take Ryoga from you," Akari said as she removed the pig from Ranma's lap. She put Ryoga on her lap and whispered to him. "I know you don't like being like this Ryoga, but we've got no choice."  
  
"That's right Mr. P," Ranma said, "so just sit there and keep your pork hole closed."  
  
Akari looked over at Ranma and saw that she was smiling at the enraged pig in Akari's lap. She held Ryoga closer, lest he actually attack Ranma on the airplane and create an incident.  
  
"Stop it the both of you," Akari said sharply, "I don't want to have to explain to the people on this plane why there was a girl and a pig fighting and I'm sure Akane doesn't either."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked a little ashamed; they stole one quick glance at each other before turning away.  
  
Ranma leaned across the isle and tapped Parker on his massive shoulder.  
  
"What is it Ranma?" Phillip asked as he turned around in his seat.  
  
"I was just wondering how you got us on board this plane without us having to use any passports or visas."  
  
Phil smiled at Ranma, "Don't let anyone tell you that bribery is a bad thing Ranma. American money can obviously go a long way in this country."  
  
Beside Phil, Seiji shook his head. "You are absolutely corrupting the boy Phillip."  
  
"What?" Parker asked as he turned to face Seiji. "All I'm doing is showing him how to be more like me."  
  
"Great, just what the world needs, two Parkers that are still in the prime of their youth."  
  
Ranma leaned back into her seat as Seiji and Phil continued their little bickering match. She readjusted her skirt again. The damn thing kept riding up, how the hell could girls actually wear these things all the time? Ranma asked herself.  
  
===============  
  
Ishii kept his cloak pulled tightly around his head, as he walked through the airplane terminal. He needed to keep the cloak to help disfigure his face from any sort of monitoring equipment the Chinese might have installed. He had no doubts that he was obviously being followed, he just wasn't sure to what extent.  
  
Where the hell is Gate 67? He asked himself, finding something in an airport was like trying to find the lost city of Atlantis.  
  
He wandered by the man that had been shadowing him earlier. Once he saw where Ishii was heading, the man quickly left.  
  
===============  
  
As the plane taxied down the runway Ranma attempted to stretch her legs. But doing so caused the skirt to rise up to a dangerous height and Akari quickly grabbed the edge of the skirt before Ranma gave the other passengers an eyeful.  
  
"Ranma, I think I'm beginning to understand what Akane means when she says you have no feminine modesty," lightly shaking her head.  
  
"Hey! I don't need feminine modesty," Ranma protested. "I'm a guy."  
  
Down on Akari's lap, Ryoga started chuckling.  
  
"Shut up pig," Ranma said angrily. "I'm more man than you are right now. And I'm definitely going to be the first one getting his cure."  
  
The small pig in Akari's arms looked angrily at Ranma and lunged, but was caught by Akari and held tightly against her chest.  
  
"I thought I explained at the beginning of flight about how I don't want you two fighting," Akari said to the pig. Unfortunately the pig happened to be pressed against her chest and was experiencing temporary brain lock.  
  
Ranma shook her head resignedly and looked away from the scene.  
  
The pilot came over the intercom. *We've reached our destination, thank you for flying Nippon Airways*  
  
===============  
  
Ishii nearly cried out with joy when he saw everyone walk out of the gate. He walked quickly to them and told Seiji everything that he had heard while trailing Minoru, Kimura, and Koga.  
  
"Are you certain of this?" Seiji asked.  
  
"Yes!" Ishii said almost hysterically.  
  
"Let's get the hell out of here before we do anything," Seiji said. He let Ishii lead them to a waiting car outside the airport.  
  
"You four get into this car," Seiji ordered, pointing to the young Japanese. "It will take you to a hotel. We will get a cab."  
  
Ranma and the others climbed into the car and it quickly sped away.  
  
"Once they get to the hotel, what are they going to do?" Parker asked.  
  
The question caught Ishii and Seiji off guard and it showed.  
  
"I didn't think of that," Ishii admitted. "Oh well, how hard will it be to get a cab here?"  
  
"Shouldn't be that hard," Seiji said as he scanned the drop-off area of the airport. They spotted a cab and quickly waved it down. Seiji instructed the driver to take them to the Qinghai Hotel Xining.  
  
"I hope we get there before those kids can start any trouble," Parker said. "I've noticed that Akari is the only one that has an average amount of patience."  
  
"Don't worry Phillip, I doubt that any of them would try and cause some trouble down there."  
  
Parker nodded but that didn't help dispel the feeling of dread that he was feeling. As a soldier he possessed a sixth sense about situations, and at the moment the hairs on the back of his neck were standing.  
  
===============  
  
They arrived at the hotel and quickly ran inside. Once entering the front foyer, they noticed that something was wrong. There was no one there. The entire place looked deserted.  
  
Ishii withdrew a Beretta nine-millimeter and held it in the Weaver stance.  
  
"Damn," Parker cursed, "I left my goddamned gun at the embassy back in Beijing."  
  
"What room did you have reserved Ishii?" Seiji asked quietly.  
  
"Room 117," Ishii responded as he checked behind the front desk.  
  
They made their way to the elevator and just as they were about to enter, a voice from behind made them spin around.  
  
"Hello Seiji, it's been awhile."  
  
Coming through the front doors of the hotel were Koga, Minoru, and Kimura.  
  
"You fucking traitor!" Ishii screamed, raising the Beretta to eye level so he would have a better shot at Minoru.  
  
"I would not advise you to take such actions," Koga said. "If you value the lives of your friends I would suggest that you lower the gun and slide it over here."  
  
Minoru called to someone they could not see. Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, and Akari stepped into view. They were handcuffed and had bounds across their mouths. Ranma and Ryoga were bound with an extra chain as well. Standing behind them were four men holding Ak-47's with the bayonet attached. The bayonets were used to lead the captives when they did not immediately respond to commands.  
  
Ishii, seeing them, lowered his gun and slid it across the floor. Minoru smirked and picked up the weapon.  
  
"Nice to see you finally put in your place Ishii."  
  
Koga signaled for the three men to follow them, which they did. They walked out of the hotel and led into some waiting cars. They were driven to a very remote area which was surrounded by trees.  
  
Minoru and Kimura led them to a cabin that was situated in the woods and Koga soon joined them.  
  
"Now, maybe you would all be so kind as to tell me just what you have learned in these past weeks. Especially whatever you have learned about certain Chinese activities."  
  
When no one answered he motioned for one of the guards to step forward.  
  
"Remove the bayonet," Koga ordered. The guard complied. "Now hand it to me."  
  
Koga walked slowly but purposely toward Seiji. "Now, tell me what you know."  
  
Seiji did the first thing that popped into his mind; he head butted Koga and delivered a kick to his midsection as he fell backwards.  
  
Ranma rushed at the other guards and Ryoga was close behind. He snap kicked the nearest guard across the face and was about to get the other one when he stopped.  
  
Minoru had placed the Ak-47's barrel against Akane's head.  
  
"If you move one more step I'm going to send this girl to the next life."  
  
Ryoga and Ranma stopped and dropped their stances. Minoru didn't remove the gun but he did remove his finger from the trigger and place it in the trigger guard.  
  
Koga had staggered to his feet and the guard Ranma had hit was still sprawled out on the ground. He glared at Seiji and this time he punched him directly in the stomach. Seiji apparently didn't expect this and the air rushed out of his lungs as he keeled over. Two guards immediately hauled him back to his feet.  
  
"Go get some of the others and bring them here," Koga ordered. One of the guards left the cabin quickly. He returned a few minutes later with seven others, all armed with AK-47's.  
  
"Do you think that the American government is simply going to stand by while you do this?" Parker asked. "And I would like to remind you of what would happen if anything happened to me."  
  
Koga turned and regarded Parker with genuine amusement. "The American government has already acknowledged China as the only China. They will not be able to assist Taiwan when we invade without losing much face throughout the world. And as far as your concerned my friend, you will be turned over to the Politburo with the story that you are a spy that has been trying to steal information from the state."  
  
Parker visibly blanched. The prospect of being turned over to the Politburo was frightening in itself. But he did not want to think about what would happen to his career once the Chinese say that he was a spy that they caught themselves.  
  
Koga turned towards the others. "And you all guilty of entering a foreign land with false documents and the intent to do damage the state, which, because you are all guilty, cause you to be executed. Starting with this old fool," he said, indicating Seiji. He took the bayonet in his hand and drew it across Seiji's cheek, drawing blood.  
  
Ranma growled deep in his throat. He was back as a he, after returning to his original form at the airport. He glared heatedly at Koga and would have been content to rush at him if Minoru hadn't been standing beside Akane, his finger an inch away from ending her life. He was confident that he and the other guys could deal with these jerks, but he wasn't quite as confident that Akane and Akari would survive the ensuing gun fight.  
  
Koga looked at him in surprise and slowly walked over to him. "Well well, aren't we the brave one. I have always believed that the brave should always be the first to go, as they are usually the one's that are the most useless." Koga took a rifle from one of the guards and held it up to Ranma's chest. He chambered a round.  
  
"No!" Akane shouted trying to rush forward, but Minoru was holding her back.  
  
Koga turned to face her and took a few steps in Akane's direction. A smirk lit up his face as he brought the rifle to Akane's face.  
  
"No you fool!" Seiji yelled. But it was too late.  
  
Koga turned the rifle around so the butt end of the rifle was facing Akane. The butt came across and connected with Akane's temple, sending the girl spinning to the ground where she hit hard and stayed, unmoving.  
  
The captives held their breath as Akane fell. The only sound that could be heard was the wind rustling the leaves outside.  
  
"Stupid girl," Koga said as he turned around. But as he did so he was blinded as Ranma's aura suddenly filled the room.  
  
Ranma snapped the chain and the handcuffs effortlessly and turned to face the terrified men in the room.  
  
"What the hell's the matter with him!?" Parker asked as Ranma rushed at the men.  
  
"He was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, seeing what happened to Akane must have made him snap!" Seiji yelled. It was necessary to yell due to the fact that Ranma's aura was drawing the wind to bear down on the cabin at a full gale force.  
  
"Shit!" Parker yelled as he watched Ranma rip the gun from a guards hands and give it back to him by striking the guard across the face in such a manner that his neck nearly twisted in a full circle. The snapping of bone was an unmistakable noise to Parker, and that guard had just received a killing blow that would have taken a man his size at least several tries to do. Ranma had done it with only one hand.  
  
Ranma did not bother staying to watch as the guard's lifeless corpse hit the ground, he had already turned to face the other men. He bore down on them like a vengeful god, kicking and punching at a speed that indicated that Ranma was moving so fast that he would make the speed of light jealous. In a manner of 0.0071 seconds, all the guards were lying in a heap in a corner of the cabin. None looked to have survived Ranma's assault.  
  
Minoru, Kimura and Koga all ran at full speed out of the cabin with Ranma closing the distance within moments. He sent a ki blast to the center which blew all three men into three different directions.  
  
The noise signaled the other men Koga had brought with them; they came running to the cabin and were greeted to the sight of Ranma moving in a blur towards Minoru. They quickly brought up their guns and fired at the boy.  
  
Ranma was aware that the bullets were moving at him and leapt into the air. As he did so, Ryoga, Akari, Seiji, and Parker (carrying the unconscious Akane) came running out of the cabin.  
  
Ranma threw his hand forward and sent a large ki blast down at the men.  
  
They never stood a chance. The blast bore down on them at a speed that left no opportunity for them to dodge.  
  
Parker, a battle hardened man, was nearly overtaken by the wave of nausea that swept over him, as he watched what happened to the bodies of the men Ranma hit with the ki blast.  
  
Ranma turned and faced Koga, who had backed up against a tree. Koga removed a pistol from his waistband and fired at Ranma. Everyone watched in surprise as Ranma's aura suddenly turned cold and Ranma simply caught the bullets as they entered arms length. He leapt into the air and drew his fist back.  
  
This was when Ryoga remembered. Ranma was in the stance now that he had when he was about to deliver the killing blow to Saffron. Such a move was most likely to kill Koga, and Ryoga was not sure what Ranma would do after he had killed him. Ranma's voice was heard at the same moment as Ryoga yelled.  
  
"Stop Ranma!"  
  
"Hiryu Hyou-Toppa!!"  
  
Ryoga's words did not reach Ranma; the blast left him and soared down at Koga. It struck him in his chest and simply ripped through him. Koga's body slipped lifelessly down the trunk. His mouth opened in remnants of a scream that didn't quite make it past his throat.  
  
As Ranma began his descent, he seemed to go limp as well, and Ryoga was barely in time to catch him. Ranma had fainted.  
  
Ryoga clutched Ranma in his arms, he held him in such a way that one would hold an infant. Tears rolled down his cheek as he turned back to the others.  
  
"Is he okay?" Seiji asked as he wiped the blood from his face.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga said softly, "He just fainted."  
  
Ryoga set Ranma on the ground and turned to where Akari had been standing. But she wasn't there.  
  
"Akari?" Ryoga asked as he turned around. He couldn't see her.  
  
"Hey!" Parker spoke. "Where are those other two guys?"  
  
Minoru and Kimura were not in sight.  
  
Ryoga let out a groan.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I had originally intended this chapter to be much gorier as it is now. I have seen combat, and I know what it is like to see a man die. There were far too many stories out there that did not let you truly see what war is like, as I am sure there is no one in this entire website that has been in combat. After a short consideration, I decided to leave in the less gory version, as I do not wish to turn away reader's that are the feint of heart.  
  
Now, I did receive the question around the time of this chapter's release that asked if Ranma and company were not growing up just a little too fast. My wife, bless her soul, was as fearsomely protective of the story as I would have been. She countered that Ranma and the others were far from being mature, but that if they did seem to be more mature than in the story, than they are like that because of the situation they are in. When faced in a dilemma where you and everyone close to you is in danger of having their lives ended early, you will definitely act more mature than you would normally do.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far and I hope that everyone has been reviewing. 


	20. Journey Chapter 13 Death at Jusenkyo

Journey Chapter 13 Death at Jusenkyo  
  
Minoru watched in horror as Ranma tore through the guards inside the cabin. The boy's speed was beyond human and he was attacking with a ferocity that could only be described as animal-like. He turned and ran out the door with Koga and Kimura. He could feel Ranma's aura rapidly approaching them and then felt something slam into the ground behind him.  
  
He was carried off of his feet and slammed to the ground. His breath was knocked out of him and he couldn't rise to his feet. He managed to raise his head and was greeted to the sight of Ranma moving towards him. Just as Ranma was about to pounce on him, Minoru heard the unmistakable report of a dozen AK-47's being fired. One second Ranma was there, and the next second he wasn't. The bullets whistled by him, luckily missing him, and Minoru took the opportunity to sit up.  
  
Ranma had released some kind of energy blast that bored down on the guards. He looked to his right and saw Kimura slowly staggering to his feet. Minoru motioned for Kimura too come over to where he was. Once Kimura was at an appropriate distance he whispered sharply.  
  
"We've got to get out of here."  
  
"Do not state the obvious you fool!" Kimura replied. "I doubt that we will be able to get out of here if that child decides that we should be the next targets to inquire his wrath."  
  
Minoru understood what Kimura meant and quickly scanned the area. His eyes rested upon the girl that the Hibiki boy seemed infatuated with.  
  
"Run to the cars Kimura, I'll be there in a moment," Minoru said. With that, he flipped to his feet and ran at Akari, while Kimura made a mad dash to the cars. Minoru grabbed Akari and ran into the bush.  
  
Kimura quickly leapt over the hood of the car and opened the driver's side door. He had no intention of waiting for Minoru, especially with that insane child behind him, so he started the car and began to turn around. At the moment he was about to slam his foot to the accelerator, a door in the back was opened and one of the girls from the cabin was tossed inside. Minoru quickly climbed in after her and slammed the door, motioning franticly for Kimura to go.  
  
As the car sped away, the girl began to attempt to open one of the doors. She wasn't able to because Minoru threw himself on top of her and pushed her to the floor of the car. She screamed her protest and Minoru answered her by punching her across the face. He did not hit her fast enough to knock her unconscious, but it was hard enough to get the message across.  
  
Kimura sped as fast as he thought he could without having to worry about the car conking out.  
  
After driving for an hour, Kimura stopped the car along a dirt road. As they stopped, the girl in the back recognized an opportunity and before Minoru could react, she slammed her knee into his crotch. Minoru gasped and fell to the floor of the car as she dove forward and slammed Kimura's head down onto the steering wheel. She quickly opened the car door and jumped out. Kimura recovered first and quickly took off after her. The girl could run fast but Kimura had been a soldier and was an avid runner, and he quickly caught up to her, throwing himself onto her. She fought valiantly and Kimura was forced to use his belt to tie the girl's arms behind her back.  
  
Minoru came stumbling towards them with his one of his hands covering his crotch. He was red-faced and was wearing a very angry scowl. His other hand held a gun.  
  
"I'm going to shoot the bitch!" He snarled angrily.  
  
Kimura laughed and got off of the girl. "I think that you would want to be a little less forceful with the girl you just risked your life to kidnap."  
  
"I was merely grabbing her so those sonsofbitches won't try and kill us the second they catch up," Minoru said grabbing the girl off of the ground. He half-dragged, half-carried the girl back to the car. He tossed her into the back, turned and regarded Kimura.  
  
"We can use her to blackmail the others and lead them to where we want them to go. That way we can get some soldiers and kill Seiji and them."  
  
Kimura nodded but did not find himself agreeing to what Minoru was saying. "Look, I'll watch the girl in the back and you drive until we find a hotel."  
  
He climbed into the back and smiled at the girl. She looked at him with hatred and tears rimmed her eyes. She began to lightly weep. Kimura felt a pang of guilt for what he was doing and for a second he had the horrible thought of what Mariko would think of him if she were to find out what he was doing.  
  
As Minoru started down the dirt road again, Kimura spoke softly to the girl.  
  
"What's your name?" She didn't answer him. "I will promise that I will not hurt you. Now, can you please tell me your name?"  
  
She looked at him and slowly nodded. "Akari, Akari Unryuu."  
  
He smiled. "You have a very beautiful name Akari Unryuu, my name is Isamu Kimura."  
  
Akari didn't smile back, her expression still showed that she was scared, but her eyes were displaying curiosity.  
  
"Will you let me go?" she asked. When Kimura's smile widened she grew angry. "Don't you make fun of me!"  
  
"I will release you, but only when the time comes. Until then I would suggest that you remain on your best of behavior."  
  
"So where are you taking me?" Akari asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, we had hoped you would tell us," Kimura said.  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"It means that we would like for you to tell us exactly where you and the others were headed."  
  
Akari was about to answer but immediately shut her mouth.  
  
Kimura sighed. He didn't expect the girl to tell him that much. There wasn't much he could do, short of actually striking the girl, and he would never do that. This girl reminded him of what Mariko must have looked like in her younger days.  
  
He looked out the window and as he looked further down the road, he saw the distinct sign of a motel.  
  
===============  
  
"Well what the hell are we supposed to do now!?" Ryoga shouted.  
  
It had taken all of Seiji's, Phil's, and Ishii's strength to keep Ryoga from running off, and they had only succeeded because they reminded him of Akane and Ranma's condition. Though it didn't keep him from taking his anger out on them, which he expressed in words.  
  
"We will have to worry about that once we get a feel for Ranma's condition Ryoga, you know that," Seiji answered him reasonably.  
  
Ryoga's aura was flaring and he hid the tears that escaped his eyes. "I am going to go outside, send someone to get me in about two minutes."  
  
"But how will we know where you are?" Phil asked.  
  
"Trust me, you'll know," Ryoga said as he walked out of the cabin.  
  
Ryoga ran, stumbling and smashing through the brush, tears flowed from his eyes as he repeated the same words over and over again.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."  
  
===============  
  
"What did he mean by that?" Ishii asked.  
  
He was answered by shrugs of helplessness. As he turned to go and remoisten the cloth on Ranma's head, he heard someone cry out.  
  
Immediately following the cry there was an explosion.  
  
They ran from the cabin, in time to see trees and rock hurtled into the air as an enormous tower of chi was blasted into the air. The chi stood in the air for a long second, before finally hurtling towards the ground. As it impacted, the ground shook with the fury of an earthquake, sending Seiji, Ishii, and Phil to the ground.  
  
"Jesus," Phil muttered as he got to his feet. "What the hell was that?"  
  
They quickly made their way through the trees to find the impact area. Fallen trees and rocks lay strewn about inside the crater.  
  
"Ryoga!" Seiji shouted as he ran down the slope. Phil quickly followed with Ishii behind him.  
  
Ryoga was standing in the center of the crater, his arms held out pointing downwards, fists clenched painfully. His jaw was clenched painfully, so much that his fangs had bit into his lower lip. There were dried tears in his eyes. He turned his head slowly, almost drunkenly towards the others.  
  
Just as Seiji was about to reach him, Ryoga collapsed.  
  
They carried him back to the cabin, where he was placed beside Ranma and Akane. Akane had woken up, much to their surprise.  
  
"What happened?" she asked. Her head was pounding; every move she made sent a wave of pain flowing throughout her head.  
  
The others looked a little uncomfortable, and Ishii went and quickly through a blanket over the bodies that were sitting in the corner.  
  
"Where's Ranma?" she asked next. Phil pointed to her right and Akane slowly turned to see her fiancée. She lay back down and grasped Ranma's hand in hers. As an afterthought, Akane grabbed Ryoga's hand with her other free hand.  
  
"Akane," Phil said softly. "Were going to have to tell you something that may upset you."  
  
Akane looked at him and slowly nodded her head.  
  
"You're going to have to promise that you will not get upset and try and move around, alright?"  
  
"Yes, I promise."  
  
"Okay, Ranma attacked all of the people holding us and sometime during the fight Minoru and some other guy grabbed Akari and took off. We haven't been able to find them."  
  
Akane's face drained all it's color. She was about to sit up when Phil quickly grabbed her head with his two hands and held her steady.  
  
"That's also the reason why Ryoga is unconscious," Phil told her. "He ran into the woods and did one of those things Ranma did, but it was huge."  
  
"The Shi Shi Hokodan," Akane breathed. She took a glance at Ryoga. "It's a technique that was developed to help with clearing rubble and debris, using depression and sadness as a fuel. To perfect the technique you must reach a level of ultimate depression. It sends a tower of chi into the air, to come crashing down. But Ryoga has so much depression and sadness that he turned the technique into a deadly move. I think that Ranma and Ryoga could be the only one's that could survive a hit by the perfect version."  
  
"What are you talking about? Ryoga's not a depressed guy, he was always happy around that Akari girl."  
  
Akane shook her head. "Ryoga has known Akari for about six months. Before that he was always alone, except for when he came by our house. You see, Ryoga has the world's worst sense of direction. He will get lost inside his own house. Also," Akane said, blushing a little, "Ryoga had a crush on me and he would always fight Ranma whenever he thought Ranma was mistreating me. So when he was trying to perfect the technique, Ryoga asked me to tell him that I hated him. I did and it had its desired effects."  
  
Parker looked at Ryoga with a hint of pity in his eyes. Akane saw this and had to smile.  
  
"Don't let Ryoga see you do that. He can't stand people pitying him."  
  
While they were talking, Ishii and Seiji had moved all the bodies outside. They came back in and kneeled in front of Akane.  
  
"I'm so sorry Akane," Seiji said, bowing his head so low that his forehead touched the ground.  
  
"This is not your fault Seiji," Akane told him. "You had no idea that this was how things would go."  
  
"I'm still sorry," Seiji told her. "But this is not the time to be worried about that. Akane, I'm going to assume that Phillip told you about how Ranma's condition reached a peak and he snapped-"  
  
"What!?" Akane shrieked.  
  
Seiji glared at Parker, who answered with a shrug.  
  
"What do you mean Ranma snapped? He didn't kill anyone did he?"  
  
She could tell what the answer was when Ishii, Phil, and Seiji traded looks.  
  
"Oh god, what caused him to snap?"  
  
"It was when Koga hit you with the rifle butt. When you hit the ground Ranma freaked out," Phil told her. "He killed everybody but the two guys that took Akari."  
  
Akane started crying and Phil carefully sat her up and hugged the girl. He bent his head down and spoke softly into her ear.  
  
"It will be okay Akane; Ranma was forced to kill them. If he didn't, we would never have been able to get out of here. They would have killed us otherwise."  
  
It was at that moment that Ranma woke up. He jumped to his feet and held a battle stance. Ishii and Seiji backed up; the memory of what Ranma did to the others was still fresh in their minds.  
  
"Where's Akane?" Ranma asked. Everyone relaxed when they saw that Ranma had returned to normal.  
  
Parker stood and silently handed Akane to Ranma. Ranma held her in a hug, gently running his hand through her hair.  
  
"I thought you had left me," Ranma whispered into her ear. Akane responded by holding him tighter and pushing forward a little so Ranma would sit down.  
  
Phillip, Ishii, and Seiji tried to make themselves as invisible as possible. Ryoga was stirring so they decided to take him outside.  
  
"I'll never leave you Ranma," Akane said. "Never, never, never."  
  
Ranma started to cry with her and he gently lowered his head to kiss her.  
  
"We can't do this now Ranma," Akane told him after the kiss.  
  
"Well duh, I'd think that you would have the decency to wait until we found a nice motel room," Ranma replied with a sexy smile.  
  
Akane blushed and shook her head. "There's more Ranma."  
  
She had to tell him. But she knew that it would destroy him.  
  
===============  
  
Akari sat down on the motel bed. She regarded her two kidnappers warily. She could tell that they could easily beat her in any sort of attack she made, so she would have to make sure she picked her chances carefully.  
  
The man she had kneed in the crotch was still very angry with her. But the other one, the one that seemed to be nice, was actually very polite to her. They had rented two rooms, and Minoru had opted to sleep alone, saying Kimura could watch her. Akari was glad he had left, because otherwise she might have taken it upon herself to attack the jerk.  
  
"So, would you like to tell me just what you have been doing here in China?" Kimura asked her as he sat down in a chair.  
  
"I'm not going to tell you what you want so maybe you should just stop trying," Akari said.  
  
"I've already told you that I'm not going to hurt, why would you be willing to keep this from me?"  
  
"Because if I do tell you what you want you're going to use it to get to Ryoga and the others," Akari told him.  
  
Kimura sighed. He didn't really know what he was supposed to do in this situation. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Minoru wanted her friends dead, but he couldn't tell her that because she would try and escape. He needed to try and show her that he meant no harm.  
  
"Look, I know you probably think that I'm just some lunatic that joined the underworld but I'm not. I was blackmailed into the Yakuza, and they are using someone else's life to keep me there," He said. It wasn't really a lie. He had joined the Yakuza of his own free will at first.  
  
"I don't want to be in the Yakuza anymore, I wanted to live my life as a normal man, but they've ensured that my life will end with me being a Yakuza member. If I had my way I would release you and you could go back to your friends, but I can't, if I disobey the Oyabun one more time he will kill the girl that I love.  
  
"I want to help you but I don't know if I can. What if I did help you and the Oyabun decided to kill her. I can't risk something like that."  
  
Akari's steely gaze melted as Kimura talked. The man seemed sincere.  
  
"You said you wanted to live your life as a normal man. How can you expect to do that if you don't stop what you're doing? If you want a clear conscience than you have to help me, otherwise you will remain in the Yakuza and this girl that you love will not get to be with you. Please," Akari said, her eyes pleading. "You have to do the right thing."  
  
Kimura looked at Akari for a long moment before nodding.  
  
"Okay, your right. I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I was to help Minoru. But I need to find a way to make sure that Minoru doesn't find out that I've betrayed him. I need a plan."  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga slammed his fist through the tree in front of him. His anger was at its peak. After finally awakening, the lost boy had been immediately informed that there was no word on what exactly happened with Akari.  
  
"Were going to find her Ryoga," Parker told him.  
  
Ryoga snorted. "Would you please explain exactly how we are going to find her? We have absolutely no idea where she was taken and all were doing now is waiting. What do you expect that she's going to just suddenly phone us?"  
  
"No," Phil admitted. "But we need to have a plan before we can go and look for her."  
  
"A plan is not going to be of any help," Ryoga told him. "What we need to do is get off our fucking ass's and go find her!"  
  
Parker raised his hands in defeat. "Alright Ryoga, we'll go look for her but it can only be me and you. Ranma's in some sort of mental shock or something and Akane's trying to comfort him. I don't know how useful Seiji or Ishii would be so were just going to go."  
  
Ryoga nodded and headed back into the cabin. Once he was in he went for his backpack only to see Seiji on the phone.  
  
"There taking you to Jusenkyo?" Seiji asked whoever was on the other end. There followed a very long moment which Ryoga presumed was the other person talking.  
  
"Okay I'll remember, I'll tell Ryoga what you said Akari."  
  
Ryoga rushed to Seiji's side and grabbed the phone from him.  
  
"Akari! Where are you!?"  
  
But the line was dead. Tears filled his eyes as he turned back to Seiji.  
  
"What did she say?"  
  
"She was taken by those two men, but one of them isn't committed to their cause and has decided to help us, in return were going to help him later."  
  
"So she's alright then," Ryoga said breathing a sigh of relief. Then he realized something. "Wait, didn't you say that something about them taking her to Jusenkyo?"  
  
"Yes, it seems that the man that's helping her has decided to go to Jusenkyo with her and that way we can leave China the second were done. But were also going to have to deal with the other man that was with Akari and our defector."  
  
"Heh," Ryoga smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You just leave him to me; I'll make what Ranma did to those other guys look like a merciful death once I'm through with him."  
  
Seiji didn't bother reprimanding Ryoga for his foolishness. The boy just didn't understand what it was like to kill someone. Something Ranma would now have to live the rest of his life with. The blood of fifteen men's lives on your hands was a terrible burden to put on someone so young.  
  
===============  
  
Akane watched as Ranma buried the last of the men. When Ranma had first seen the bodies, Akane thought he might pass out. She nearly did. But Ranma had steeled himself and informed her that he would give them all proper burials before they left.  
  
Once he had finished filling in the last of the graves, Ranma said a prayer for each man and turned to leave. There were tears in his eyes. He wrapped his arm around Akane's shoulder as he passed, pulling her with him.  
  
"That was a very nice thing to do Ranma," Akane told him. "You are an honorable man."  
  
Ranma shook his head. "No Akane, I'm not honorable. I lost control; I killed those men when I could have easily knocked em` unconscious. Those are not the actions of an honorable man."  
  
Akane looked at Ranma and saw the grief he was feeling. She stopped and pulled his head down to meet hers. Ranma tried to resist the kiss but Akane held his head to hers. She released him and wrapped him in a fierce hug. She cried for him.  
  
"You lost control because of me Ranma," she told him, and decided to tell him everything.  
  
"So I'm going insane then?"  
  
"No, but you shouldn't worry about it until we get back home."  
  
"Okay Akane, but you have to promise me that you will not put yourself into anymore dangerous situations," Ranma said.  
  
"Okay," Akane complied. Normally she would have argued, but she knew what Ranma meant. 'Don't make me have to kill again'.  
  
They made their way back to the cabin and saw everyone waiting for them.  
  
"What's up?" Ranma asked the group.  
  
"Akari called, they're taking her to Jusenkyo," Ryoga said, and explained everything else to the couple.  
  
"Jeez, I hope this goes smoothly," Ranma said. Ryoga nodded. "You going to be okay man?"  
  
"Yes," Ryoga said.  
  
"Were just going to have to wait for the car that I called for comes," Seiji told them. It had taken a lot of persuasive talking, not to mention money, to convince the car rental place to send the two cars all the way out there. And then to explain that they could not drive the two rental personnel back. So in the end, and several thousand Yuan later, they would send three cars, two of which would be kept by Seiji.  
  
"So we'll be driving non-stop to Jusenkyo then?" Akane asked.  
  
"Only as far as the road permits, after that were going to have to walk," Parker said.  
  
"Then lets go," Ryoga said. The others could see how tense he was and decided that it would be best to not make any unnecessary stops along the way.  
  
===============  
  
Minoru picked up the phone inside his hotel room and dialed a number from memory. It rang several times before someone answered.  
  
*Yes?*  
  
"This is Minoru Hitonda; I need to speak with the Oyabun."  
  
*Just a moment.*  
  
There was a shuffle and then some hushed voices and then finally the voice came back.  
  
*I'll transfer you over now.*  
  
A new voice immediately came over the line.  
  
*Minoru, how nice of you to call,* the voice did not sound like he meant it.  
  
"I apologize for phoning you at such an hour, but I feel that I must relay this information. My operation is coming too a close, I'll need a few more troops if I am to accomplish it."  
  
*Where is Koga? I heard that he was traveling with you.*  
  
"He is still asleep and he left me with the impression that he was not to be awakened. I'm not to sure where Kimura is."  
  
*Never mind. You were saying something about needing more troops?*  
  
"Yes, it turns out that Koga's men were anything but the ideal soldier, and I am need of some more men," Minoru said, hoping the Oyabun would not ask to see Kimura.  
  
*Okay, I'll call over to the Chinese Defense Minister's office and see if he can't get you some more troops. Where exactly are you?*  
  
"I'm about to head to these coordinates," Minoru read them off, "And I'm going to need those soldiers by tomorrow."  
  
*Alright, keep up the good work. Oh, where did you say Kimura was?*  
  
"I'm not to sure but I think that he is in another room."  
  
There was a grunt on the other end and then the line clicked, signifying that he was now the only one on the line.  
  
Minoru set the receiver down and let out a breath. He had just lied to the Oyabun. For some reason he felt very excited. That was when realization hit him. He was going to have to explain to the Oyabun exactly what happened to Koga. Now there was a conversation to dread. But if things worked out now, then the Oyabun would surely be able to forgive him. All he had to do now was hope that those soldiers would arrive tomorrow.  
  
Minoru whistled happily to himself, oblivious to the fact that the fates were running against him.  
  
===============  
  
"Jesus!" Phil shouted as the car wheels bounced of the ground.  
  
"Can't you keep this car on the ground Phillip!?" Seiji shouted as he tried to readjust his seat belt.  
  
"It's the goddamned roads Seiji! They're about as paved as a grassy meadow."  
  
The car went through a rather nasty section, which ended up having Ryoga smack his head against the back of Seiji's seat, which in turn smacked Seiji's head against the dashboard.  
  
Phil turned and smiled at them. "Heh, sorry about that."  
  
"Just keep your eyes on the damn road!" Seiji yelled as he rubbed his forehead.  
  
===============  
  
Over in the other car, Ishii, Ranma, and Akane were having a hard time as well. But their problem was they couldn't keep up with Parker's erratic driving.  
  
"Damn that man, he doesn't even know what a speed limit is," Ishii said as Phil accelerated once again. He checked the speedometer. They were going about ninety kilometers an hour.  
  
"Hey," Ranma said as he poked his head between the seats. "You gotta remember that over here, cars only have two speeds, on or off."  
  
Ishii chuckled and smiled at Ranma. He turned his attention back to the road and saw Phil's car pull into a driveway. It led to a house that seemed a little to well-built for being out here in.  
  
===============  
  
"Are you sure this is wise Phillip?" Seiji asked as he followed Phil up the steps to the house.  
  
"Of course," Phil answered happily. The others stood a good distance back while he and Seiji knocked on the front door.  
  
A short chubby Chinese man opened the door.  
  
"Hi," Phil greeted. "It seems we've run into a bit of car trouble."  
  
"I saw you drive up here," the man said.  
  
"You see," Phil went on, "Our cars are feeling very tired and they are getting a little hungry. And as you can tell, it's getting to be pretty dark. So we were wondering if there might be some way you would be able to maybe keep the cars here overnight and maybe give them something to eat."  
  
The man looked past Phil to the others. He sighed and waved his hands, signaling them to follow him. He led them to a nicely decorated living room. There were two women there and the chubby made a few quick orders in Chinese for them to leave. They complied.  
  
"You didn't have to make them leave," Phil said. "I'm sure it would have been possible for me to make them feel more comfortable with my presence."  
  
The chubby man shook his head and finally spoke.  
  
"What is it you want?"  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, we were planning on going into the jungle tomorrow and we were a little worried about wild animals, and I was just wondering if you might have a little something that would help protect us?"  
  
The Chinese man shook his head again and held out his hand.  
  
Phillip extracted his wallet and extracted a wad of bills that looked to be hundreds. He counted out twenty of the bills and handed them too the Chinese man.  
  
"When you come back with what I need, there will be more where that came from," Phil told him.  
  
The Chinese man nodded and left the house.  
  
"Jesus Phillip, how the hell did you do that?" Seiji asked from where he was sitting.  
  
Phil turned to them and smiled. "Didn't I tell you guys before that a little American money can go a long way?"  
  
"But how did you know that the man would help us?" Seiji asked.  
  
"Counter-revolutionary my friend, I had him pegged the moment I saw the house," he sat down on one of the couches. "Now, I'm going to go fix us a dinner, and later, I'm going to see if I can't ply the two young girls here with alcohol and see if they'll give up their youthful inhibitions."  
  
He got up and walked out of the room. When he reached the kitchen he found one of the girls there.  
  
"Hello," Phil greeted. "I was wondering if you might know where I could find a skillet. It seems I have been stuck with the duty of preparing dinner for those barbarians in there."  
  
The girl smiled at him and Phillip thought it was a beautiful smile.  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"27," the girl answered. Phillip thought she had a beautiful voice.  
  
"I can't tell you how happy I am that you can speak another language, as it turns out there are quite a few people in this country that can only speak Chinese, and not very well."  
  
The girl kept smiling at Phillip. He decided that either the girl was having some problems, or she was quite smitten with him.  
  
"Are you going to help me with making a late dinner?"  
  
"Yes," the girl told him and grabbed his arm and led him to the stove.  
  
Phillip thought she had a beautiful touch.  
  
===============  
  
After they had eaten dinner, Seiji decided to tell some stories about Phillip.  
  
During the stories, the Chinese man's daughter didn't leave Phillip's side for a moment.  
  
"I still remember the first thing Phillip said to me when he first saw me when I wore my Green Beret to a reunion," Seiji said, a smile on his face. "He looked at me and said, 'Hello little girl I would like two boxes of your chocolate wafers and a box of mint surprise.'"  
  
After Seiji explained what a Green Beret was, they all laughed.  
  
Phillip pretended to yawn. "Well, looks like I'm about ready for bed."  
  
The girl looked at him and Phil could see the excitement in her eyes. Hell, he thought, I'm excited.  
  
Before he left Seiji pulled him aside.  
  
"I want you to be careful Phil," Seiji said seriously.  
  
"I believe the girl isn't carrying any sort of diseases Seiji. But if you wish I'll make sure I don't give her the world famous Phil workout."  
  
"I'm serious Phillip, I don't want to wake up to find that Chinese man in here running wild about how the evil black man has used his evil ways on his poor daughter."  
  
"I know my friend, I'll be careful," Phil said and wrapped one arm around Seiji's shoulders. It didn't last long but it was a genuine show of affection.  
  
Phillip turned and walked up the stairs to follow the girl.  
  
Seiji walked back into the room, Akane and Ranma were trying to cheer Ryoga up.  
  
"C'mon man," Ranma said. "You know were going to get her back, it's not like anything bad could happen."  
  
The words were optimistic, but it didn't even matter because Ryoga didn't even seem to be listening.  
  
Ranma threw up his hands in defeat and decided to have a look around the house. Akane wouldn't give up that easily though.  
  
She grabbed Ryoga's hand and she held it between hers.  
  
"I know that there's nothing anyone can say that will make Akari come back any sooner Ryoga, but you can't be like this. If Akari were to see you right now, what would she say?"  
  
Ryoga didn't even blink, he just sat there.  
  
Seiji placed his hand on Akane's shoulder.  
  
"It's alright, I'll talk to him."  
  
Akane nodded and left the room.  
  
Seiji sat down on a chair that was opposite to where Ryoga sat.  
  
"Ryoga, we haven't known each other that long but I would like to tell you something that I haven't told many people. I don't know if you knew this but I used to be married. I met her when I went to Vietnam, and I took her home with me when I left. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. My parents and family didn't exactly approve of her but I didn't care. To me she was perfect. We got married a year after I met her. We moved to Tokyo soon after and started a restaurant. We lived like that for about five years, and then she got pregnant. I was very happy and so was she. Our life seemed to be going perfect, at least up until a year after my son was born. I was sent to Iran, it seems the United States was having some trouble there and because I was still a reserve, they sent me."  
  
"I was in Iran for two years Ryoga, and I was not permitted to see my wife or talk to her. When I finally went home I learned that she was killed in an automobile accident, shortly after I left. My son survived the crash and he was at an orphanage. It seems that some drunken quarter-master sergeant ran a stop sign and slammed into her car. The man was not charged because his commander had told police that the QM was actually on duty and he had been given specific permission to speed. It was a lie, but the police couldn't do anything about it."  
  
"I lost my wife and for almost two years I didn't even know that she was dead. The person responsible for her death got off free, and he didn't even receive any punishment."  
  
"My point in telling you this story Ryoga, is to show you that there are many injustices in this world, but you must overcome them. Otherwise you will lose everything. I miss my wife and there isn't a single day that goes by that I don't wish that she were here with me. But she isn't, and I am still able to make it through the days and weeks. You are lucky Ryoga, Akari was taken from you, but you are going to get her back. I don't have that option."  
  
Ryoga looked at Seiji for a long moment before tears flooded his eyes and he hugged the older man.  
  
"I'm so sorry Seiji," Ryoga said.  
  
"It is alright Ryoga. There was no way you could have known."  
  
Ryoga sobbed louder and Seiji held him.  
  
===============  
  
In the morning, everyone was wakened by the smell of breakfast, drifting through the house. Once everyone flocked to the kitchen they found Phil preparing breakfast, wearing one of the frilliest aprons any of them had ever seen. Underneath the apron they could easily tell that he was only clad in boxers.  
  
"I admit that this is not the manliest things I've done, but I know that if I were not wearing this apron, I would make my dear Akane blush, and she might just decide that Ranma is not the best choice."  
  
Akane laughed and Ranma looked confused. Even Ryoga chuckled a little.  
  
"That's okay Phil, you don't have to worry about having me try and get you into bed, I've been through enough with Ranma."  
  
This caused Ranma to blush and Phil, Ishii, and Ryoga to laugh. Seiji was too busy watching the car approaching the house to worry about laughing.  
  
The short Chinese man came out of the car and walked into the house. He motioned for Parker to come with him. Phil left the food to Seiji and followed him.  
  
Outside Parker went to the man's car and looked in his trunk. Once the Chinese man had opened it, Phil let out a long whistle.  
  
"Damn, now were talking."  
  
Inside the trunk there contained: Four Sig Sauer P226, One MK3, Six Colt Sawn Off CAR15, One Colt M4, and finally one Barrett "Light Fifty" Model 82A1. There also contained plenty of magazines and standard military issue grenades.  
  
They were in business now. All he had to do was show everyone else how to use them.  
  
===============  
  
Parker brought them all outside and laid the weapons on the front lawn.  
  
"Okay, today were going to learn all about how to use a gun. I'll be your teacher, I will call you by your real name, and you can call me Major."  
  
Everyone gave him appreciative laughter.  
  
"Okay," Phil said, holding up the Sig Sauer P226. "This is what you would call the standard military issue pistol. But that was five years ago. The Israeli's use this for most of their operations. I will now demonstrate how you load and unload the Sig Sauer."  
  
And so it went, Phil showing them how to load and operate the guns and accessories.  
  
"This is a Colt M4, I'm sure that you have seen it in your stupid war movies, but today I'm going to be using this, same with the Barrett Model 82A1 0.50 caliber sniper. You will get to chose which of the other weapons you want. Parker gave a Colt Sawn Off CAR 15 to everyone. The CAR 15 was the standard weapon of most Israel commando teams in the early nineties. The Sawn Off part came from the other teams that didn't have a big enough budget to buy the newer versions. To improvise the teams would make 'home- made' alterations to the weapon. This was by chopping the barrel down from its usual 14.5 inch length to a 10 inch length.  
  
He gave a Sig Sauer to Seiji, Ishii, Ranma, and Ryoga. Akane got the MK3. The MK3 was the upgraded version of the HP, which was the standard issue handgun in 1983 for all Israeli troops.  
  
"I don't expect us to actually use these guns, but I suppose they're just going to be security," Phil told them. He grabbed one of the Sawn Off CAR 15's and threw it over his shoulder. The strap made it possible for him to carry it as well as the M4 carbine. He carried the Barrett Model 82A1 carefully in his hands. The sniper rifle would be their most useful weapon. Not only for it's accuracy, but because he could see a great distance while using the scope (1000 yards).  
  
"Alright, let's move it out!" Phil said and pumped his arm twice over his head.  
  
===============  
  
Kimura and Akari sat in the back of the car as Minoru sped down the completely unusable road. It was a very unstable ride and it didn't take long before the car gave out. That meant they would now be walking the rest of the way to Jusenkyo.  
  
"I sure hope that Ryoga and the others have better luck," Akari said as she pushed a rather large branch out of her way.  
  
"From what you've told me Akari, they've been to this place more than once, so I'll bet they know not to take the roads as quickly as Minoru tried to."  
  
Akari looked back and saw Minoru struggling to keep up.  
  
"Do you think we should take a rest before he passes out?" Akari whispered to him.  
  
"No, this will be a good lesson for him," Kimura told her. "Once this is all over, I hope I will find a way so he can leave the Yakuza."  
  
Akari didn't know how Kimura would do something like that, but she smiled and nodded anyways.  
  
===============  
  
"Were almost there, hurry up Ryoga!" Ranma shouted as he sprinted ahead of the group.  
  
"Wait up, there's no way I'm going to let you be cured first!" Ryoga shouted at Ranma as he ran after him.  
  
"Where the hell do those two get their energy?" Ishii asked, panting for breath as they made their way through the thick jungle.  
  
"I suspect that they are running on pure happiness," Seiji told him.  
  
"Alright, I'm going to go find a place to set up, you guys go on ahead," Parker said as he left the trail and disappeared into the dense trees.  
  
Akane decided to run after Ranma and Ryoga. She reached the bottom of the steep incline and rushed down the trail. She spotted Ranma and Ryoga dashing towards the guide's house.  
  
"What the hell?" Ranma asked the empty house. He walked in and was knocked down when Ryoga burst through the door.  
  
"Eh, where is everybody?" Ryoga asked from where he was lying on top of Ranma.  
  
"That's what I was trying to find out when you knocked me down idiot," Ranma told him, annoyance clear in his voice.  
  
"Sorry," Ryoga climbed off of him and walked into the room. "Hey, there's a note lying on the table."  
  
Ranma quickly joined him and picked up the note. He read it aloud.  
  
"I have gone to nearby Amazon village with daughter, be back at nightfall. Jusenkyo guide."  
  
"Damn," Ryoga cursed.  
  
Akane ran into the small guide house, panting for breath.  
  
"Well?" she asked them.  
  
"Guides not here, seems he went down to Shampoo's village with Plum," Ranma told her. "Should be back by tonight."  
  
"Oh well, I guess it could be worse," Akane said.  
  
"Yeah, the springs could dry up again," Ryoga added dryly.  
  
"C'mon you guys, cheer up."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"I guess we could look for a map of this place then," Ranma suggested.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed.  
  
Akane smiled as the two martial artists set out to find a map of the Jusenkyo springs.  
  
===============  
  
"So were going to have to wait for the guide to come back?" Seiji asked.  
  
"Yeah, I don't really want to go wondering out by those springs without a clear indication of exactly where the spring of drowned man is. I know this place well enough to say that it would not be wise to get close to any of those pools," Ranma told him.  
  
"Okay, I'll go find Phillip and tell him what's happened," Seiji said. "Ishii you stay here, and if our friends show up don't do anything until I get back."  
  
Seiji walked for at least half an hour before he could see the ridge where Parker had set up. He slowly moved through the brush. Once he had cleared it, he called out.  
  
"Phillip? Are you there?"  
  
"Look down," a voice said, right below him.  
  
Seiji looked down and saw that he was two steps away from where Phillip was lying. He was lying in such a way that you would miss him completely, unless you moved at a slow crawl.  
  
Seiji knelt down beside him. Phillip was looking through the scope, slowly adjusting the scope rings.  
  
"They won't be able to find the spring they need until dark," Seiji told him.  
  
"Well, we'd just better hope that our friends don't come until then," Parker said. "Wait, shit I think I can see them."  
  
"Who, Ranma and Ryoga?"  
  
"No, our kidnappers," Phillip said.  
  
"Damn," Seiji got up and turned to go when he felt a hand on his leg; he turned and saw Phillip looking at him.  
  
"Please be careful my friend, I have a bad feeling about this."  
  
Seiji smiled. "I will thank you." He left through the brush, moving quickly.  
  
"Just don't make me have to my father that I let you die," Phil said as he turned back to the sniper scope.  
  
===============  
  
Ishii watched in surprise as Kimura, Minoru, and Akari walked towards the hut. He quickly ducked inside, telling the others to grab their weapons and he came back outside, holding his CAR 15. There was a round chambered and the gun was on full-auto. He wasn't going to let Minoru get away this time.  
  
As the others got closer, it was evident that Akari was bound in rope, and Minoru was holding a handgun to her head.  
  
Ishii heard a low growl escape from behind him. He turned and saw Ryoga, his aura was burning brightly.  
  
Ranma was instantly behind him, he whispered something into Ryoga's ear and the enraged boy calmed down.  
  
"Where is Seiji?" Minoru called out.  
  
"What does it matter? I am here, is that not enough?"  
  
Minoru shook his head. "No, unless Seiji is here, I will not give this girl up."  
  
Kimura looked between the two. He really wanted to run over to where Ishii was standing, but he wasn't exactly too confident about that course of action. You don't usually run towards four people holding assault rifles.  
  
===============  
  
Parker watched through the sniper scope. He lightly adjusted the scope rings and shifted the rifle. He made sure the Bipod was stable, and he flexed his hand on the rear grip. He could see the entire exchange from where he was sitting. He slowly moved the rifle south and watched as Seiji ran towards the others.  
  
Something caught Phillip's eye. There looked to be something shiny that the sun was bouncing off of, over in the trees and thick vegetation located behind all the Jusenkyo pools. He adjusted the scope rings and looked closer. There seemed to be something sticking out of the trees. A long barrel. Almost like the one he had on his sniper rifle.  
  
Shit! Parker's mind raged, this is a trap!  
  
He swiveled back in time to see Seiji, waving his hand at the group, right before the first shot rang out.  
  
===============  
  
"There he is there!" Ranma shouted as he saw Seiji come into view. The others turned in time to see Seiji Inafune for the last time.  
  
The loud crack of a rifle rang out. Seiji was thrown to the ground, a large puff of red exploded from his shoulder.  
  
"Shit!" Ishii shouted as he turned back to Minoru, just in time to watch as the forest behind him erupted in yellow fire.  
  
===============  
  
Parker saw Seiji take the hit. The soldier inside of him told him that Seiji would live, but his arm would most likely be useless now. Letting himself forget about that for the moment, Phillip began to pick off targets hidden in the deep foliage that the unseen enemies were situated. The soldiers inside were obviously not expecting to be targeted by a sniper, as they were not doing very much to hide their positions.  
  
Parker wasn't paying attention to Ishii and the others anymore. He needed to take out the shooters before they killed everybody else.  
  
===============  
  
Minoru smiled as Seiji went down. Mission complete, his mind said smugly. His smile faded when he heard the sound of over fifty assault rifles rattling off. He watched as Ishii lifted his CAR 15 and took aim. Minoru was about to move the girl in front of him when someone punched him on the side of his head. As he staggered back, he saw Kimura grab the girl and run towards Ishii and the others. His mind was in shock so he simply watched as Kimura ran across the small clearing.  
  
===============  
  
Kimura set Akari down and quickly freed her of the ropes. He grabbed the CAR 15 from Akane and the ammo pouch that hung loosely off her skirt.  
  
"Run away!" He yelled at the others before turning to Ishii and motioning him to follow. Sprinting as they went, they dove into the small hut.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma and the others ran for their lives. Bullets were whizzing overhead and impacting the ground beneath them. Running straight down the middle of Jusenkyo, moving and dodging the pools as they went, they managed to get to the edge of Jusenkyo. But just as soon as the four had reached the last pool of Jusenkyo, the tree line in front of them erupted in gunfire.  
  
Ranma quickly stopped in his tracks and, twisting as he did so, jumped to his left and began to run towards the thick foliage. Akane grabbed Akari and pivoted sharply to her left and took off, following Ranma. Ryoga, forgetting where he was, dove to the side as the bullets passed through the space he had previously occupied.  
  
He hit the water of a spring and sank to the bottom. Not realizing what he had done, Ryoga swam to the surface and climbed out of the pool, still not aware that he was still human. As bullets came whizzing by, he turned and saw Ranma lead the girls into the brush calling for him to hurry.  
  
Sprinting to the tree line, Ryoga heard a large explosion behind him. Turning quickly, he saw that someone had fired a rocket at the spring he had jumped into, the spring was now the size of a crater.  
  
He ran and caught up with the others. Ranma was leaning against a tree, panting for breath ass the two girls lay on the ground, trying to regain their breath.  
  
"You okay Akane?" Ranma asked. He got an affirmative grunt. Akari gave him the same.  
  
"How are you doing Ryoga?" Ranma asked not facing him.  
  
"Fine Ranma," Ryoga answered.  
  
"I was asking Ryoga, Akane, not you," Ranma said irritated. When he turned he saw Akane and Akari staring at something in disbelief. He followed their gaze.  
  
There, standing where Ranma had heard Ryoga come in, was Akane, in Ryoga's clothing.  
  
===============  
  
Phillip watched through the scope of his rifle as the soldiers from the trees walked out, confirming his suspicions. They were PLA soldiers, obviously working for Minoru, as the little bastard was up and walking now.  
  
He took aim on Minoru's head, deciding to end the man's life, and fired. There was nothing but a click. He looked disbelievingly at the gun and saw that the magazine was done. He hadn't even noticed it locking up.  
  
Parker quickly got to his feet, chambering a round in his M4 carbine. He also chambered a round in the CAR 15. He crawled his way through the brush and ran down the path to where Seiji's body lay.  
  
===============  
  
Minoru walked over to Seiji's body as the PLA soldiers emerged from the trees, their guns held up and ready for any type of resistance. He removed the Berretta from his waistband and pressed the muzzle against the forehead of his former employer. Seiji's eyes opened and they locked on Minoru, shining with contempt. He was about to pull the trigger when Seiji suddenly swung his body around and locked his legs around Minoru's waist. Minoru was flung backwards, and smacked his face against the hard ground.  
  
Seiji reached out and grabbed his CAR 15, which had fallen to the ground when he had been shot, and fired four shots at Minoru's body, all hitting true.  
  
Seiji's shoulder burned as he slowly lowered his gun. He struggled to get to his feet but he couldn't find the strength. Just as he was about to fall to the ground, Seiji felt himself being lifted off the ground. He looked up into the face of Phillip Sheridan Parker IV.  
  
"I could have sworn that you had learned to duck by now," Parker said as he took off towards the hut which he had seen Ishii and Kimura enter. Carrying Seiji, Phillip knew that he had a good chance of being shot. The PLA soldiers had spotted him, and were just raising their guns as Parker jumped the last four feet and slammed the door of the hut closed with his foot. Seiji fell from his arms and hit the ground hard. Ishii almost shot Parker when he exited the room where he and Kimura had been hiding.  
  
"Jesus Parker!" Ishii shouted as he lowered his gun.  
  
Phillip didn't respond as he got to his feet and picked up Seiji's body. He carried him into the room Ishii and Kimura were in and set him against the wall. He began to slowly manipulate Seiji's damaged shoulder and arm.  
  
"You can say goodbye to ever using this arm again Seiji," Phil told him.  
  
Seiji didn't seem to hear him, as he was deep in thought.  
  
The soldiers outside will figure out that the walls are about a centimeter thick very soon and will smash down the wall. There are only four of us, and probably one hundred of them. If the soldiers get inside, all of us will be killed.  
  
"You three go," Seiji said finally.  
  
"What?" Phil said incredulously.  
  
"Those soldiers will track us all the way from Qing Hai to Japan if we run away. We won't be able to leave this country after they close down the border," Seiji said, his voice oddly calm. "There is no other way."  
  
Ishii looked very much like he wanted to cry but he held in his tears.  
  
Seiji saw this. "I'm sorry Ishii, please understand."  
  
Ishii nodded sadly and turned around, but not before a sob escaped his throat. He climbed through the window with Kimura very close behind him.  
  
Seiji watched him go, tears rimming his eyes. He turned to Phillip. "I need to do this Phil."  
  
Phillip nodded but there were tears in his eyes. "You make sure you kill one of those sonsofbitches for me Seiji." He handed Seiji his CAR 15 and one of his grenades.  
  
Seiji nodded. "If it's not too much to ask, could you tell your father that this was the way I went out?" Seiji asked his voice cracking. "Killing as many of these godless bastards as I could."  
  
"You got it buddy," Parker said, a sad smile crossing his face. He took one more look at Seiji before finally crawling out the window and following Ishii and Kimura.  
  
Seiji watched as Parker went through the window. He smiled, but it was a content smile. He turned and saw that the PLA soldiers were standing just outside the door.  
  
Just wait for me a little longer my love; I will be with you soon.  
  
The soldiers broke through the door and dashed into the room.  
  
Seiji fired a quick three round burst with the CAR 15, hitting the first soldier in the chest. He checked his aim and fired again, hitting the next soldier through the door. The soldiers were now running into the hut, their guns firing at everything inside.  
  
Seiji took two rounds in the stomach from the soldiers. He nearly blacked out from the pain but he held on, for just a little longer. Reaching down to his side, Seiji grabbed the grenade that Phillip had given him. He pulled the pin and let the cap release. Summoning the last of his strength, Seiji lightly rolled the grenade across the floor as the soldiers ran towards him. The last bit of his strength left him as the soldiers fired into the room, unaware of the small grenade rolling towards them. A smile lit up his face just before everything went black.  
  
The sound of the grenade going off was the last vestige of Seiji Inafune.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This is the final chapter of the second volume, Journey. This also marks the final chapter that my wife wrote and released. I'd like to take this moment to thank her for her help and for keeping my readers interested in this story.  
  
I received some messages concerning the fact that a major character in this story was killed, but I hold by my decision to end Seiji's life at this point. Seiji was my favorite character in this story, outside of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi, and if I had my way, I would keep him inside the story. But, unfortunately he just does not fit into the rest of the story, and with his death creates a whole new bunch of problems that the characters must face.  
  
I am still toying with the idea of releasing a small story about Parker's father and Seiji when they were with the Green Berets in Vietnam.  
  
I hope everyone is enjoying the story, and I would like to think that everyone is reviewing this story. 


	21. Volume 3 Prologue Debt of Honor

Volume 3 Debt of Honor Prologue  
  
The sudden sound of a grenade detonating brought the group up short. Phillip bit back on the sob that threatened to escape his throat. He turned to look at the others.  
  
"Come on, let's go," he told the group and led them away.  
  
"Goodbye my friend," Phillip said gently.  
  
===============  
  
"R-Ryoga?" Ranma said shakily to the figure in the clearing. He forced himself up from against the tree he had been leaning on. He was suddenly very tired.  
  
Akari got up from where she had been sitting; she had collapsed there after she had sprinted into the forest while the PLA soldiers fired at them. Taking a few shaky steps toward Ryoga, Akari broke out into a full sprint and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
Ryoga had been standing completely rigid before, so he was simply knocked to the ground when Akari jumped on him.  
  
Akane turned to Ranma. "W-what's going on Ranma?"  
  
"I don't know," Ranma answered tiredly. "Looks like there's now two victims of the Akanenichuan."  
  
Akane looked over at Akari; she had collapsed in Ryoga's arms. Ryoga was now as tall as the girl that lay on her.  
  
Ranma heard some shouts in Chinese and his head snapped up. "Oh no, they're coming!"  
  
Ranma picked Akane up and ran over to Ryoga.  
  
"C'mon man we got to go," he said as he hoisted Ryoga and Akari to their feet. Akari had collapsed from exhaustion and was now asleep in Ryoga's arms.  
  
Ryoga looked at Ranma with a vacant stare. He was out of it.  
  
Ranma backhanded Ryoga across the face. Something that was hard for him to do now that the lost boy had Akane's body.  
  
"Dammit Ryoga! We need to go, now!" Ranma shouted. Ryoga looked at him with what Ranma decided to interpret as recognition. "Let's go."  
  
Ranma, carrying Akane, and Ryoga, carrying Akari, ran back into the thick foliage, just as the PLA soldiers emerged from the other side of the clearing.  
  
An order was barked out and one of the soldiers hoisted an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) onto his shoulder and fired at the escaping teenagers.  
  
The shot went wide, but the round impacted on a tree as they ran past it. Ryoga jumped to avoid the shrapnel that flew in their direction. Ranma didn't jump and Ryoga was sure that he would be hit. But Ranma kept running so Ryoga concluded that the shrapnel had missed him.  
  
They ran until Ranma nearly collapsed from exhaustion. They stopped underneath a large waterfall. Ryoga and Ranma were panting for breath. Akane went to the waterway to try and get some water that they could heat up somehow.  
  
"Are you okay Ryoga?" Ranma asked in rasping breaths.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga responded.  
  
"Ryoga?"  
  
"I said I'm fine!" Ryoga snarled. He heard Ranma take in a very sharp intake of breath. He slowly turned and saw Ranma holding his side, his eyes wide in disbelief.  
  
"I-I've been shot," Ranma managed to say before he collapsed.  
  
===============  
  
Yumi watched the two older men walk to their Dojo. It seemed like all they did was practice their martial arts.  
  
He had been watching the house for over about four days now and he had his plan completely plotted out. After a meeting with the others, it had been decided that it would be best if the families were eliminated tonight. They would meet one more time today and then, when they had the cover of nightfall, they would attack. Not a single member expected any sort of resistance from them, and neither did Yumi.  
  
It was a shame that the family had to be gotten rid of. They didn't seem like they were really that bad. But, they crossed the Yakuza. That was reason enough for their lives to be ended.  
  
He slipped his car into gear and drove down the street.  
  
===============  
  
Zhisheng smiled politely at the other Politburo members. They had delayed the meeting for two days, much to his displeasure, and now they were talking about the political risks again.  
  
"If any country were to find out what we are doing than it would be the end of us all. No country in the world will stand by while another one assassinates another leader of a country," Jingshu told them.  
  
"Yes, but what about the consequences if we do not do this?" Wei Liang asked the group. He went on, not waiting for an answer. "If Lee is allowed to spread his propaganda across America, we will face far greater consequences if we do not rid ourselves of him."  
  
Zhisheng saw everyone nod at that. So, he thought, these cowards are finally going to take some action.  
  
"Now," Renyang began, "Zhisheng said that he could give us some of the finer details of his plan."  
  
Zhisheng nodded at Renyang, "Thank you. Comrades, I have already contacted our assassin, Bai Pinghan, and told him that we had voted to go about this operation. He said that that was good news, but he was running into some problems over there. It turns out that the people the Yakuza was supplying to him were very inept, they couldn't even fire a rocket- propelled grenade, let alone keep their mouths closed afterwards."  
  
"So what are we going to do now?" Premier Renyang asked.  
  
"He told me that he was granted audience with the Oyabun and he would raise the issue there. Hopefully getting some competent men."  
  
"He had better give him some competent men," Jingshu said, coldly furious. "With what were paying him he should be doing everything in his power to make sure his job is completed."  
  
"I know," Zhisheng nodded. "But you must understand that beneath all the power this man holds, he is just a petty criminal. He is not to be trusted, and if this plan is completed, than I think it might be best if we conduct our own investigation, coming to the conclusion that it was the Yakuza who pulled of this operation."  
  
Everyone nodded at that. They would agree to pretty much anything if it meant that they would not be fingered for any of the actual crimes that they committed.  
  
"President Lee leaves for America in two weeks," Zhisheng told them. "Can I give Pinghan the go-ahead?"  
  
"Yes," Renyang said. "But we will be holding daily meetings from now on so we can all stay up to date on everything. Tomorrow we will be discussing other things such as the economy and defense. Zhisheng and Jingshu will be the one's that will give us that information."  
  
And that was that, Zhisheng thought, the plan had been put into action. Lee was as good as dead.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Here is the first chapter I wrote after I arrived home from India. It was short, as I was very tired after the very long flight, which I got no sleep on, due to the large amount of paperwork I needed to finish up on, relating on my time spent in India.  
  
It is no secret now, but what I had been sent over there to do was rate the situation that might or might not be developing between Pakistan and India. I concluded that things would taper off, and so far it seems that I was right.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story and I hope that everyone has been reviewing. 


	22. Debt of Honor Chapter 1 Headway

Debt of Honor Chapter 1 Headway  
  
Ryoga knelt down beside Ranma. She moved her hands down to his sides and ran her fingers over the small wound that adorned Ranma's side.  
  
"Looks like the bleedings stopped," Ryoga said shaking her head. "Damn fool had to faint."  
  
"So he wasn't shot?" Akane asked. Her uneasiness over being around someone that had her exact figure was quickly fading.  
  
"No," Ryoga shook her head. "He was caught with a piece of shrapnel that was sent flying when that soldier's shot went wide. I managed to pull it out," she held it up. There was a two inch long piece of twisted metal. "Luckily it missed his spine."  
  
Akane smiled. "Thank you for helping him Ryoga."  
  
Ryoga frowned, looking thoughtful. "Well, I just couldn't let him bleed to death could I?"  
  
"No, but what I meant was that you are a better friend to Ranma than anyone could be. You're always there when he needs you."  
  
Ryoga blushed at Akane's compliments. He didn't trust himself to reply.  
  
"I didn't mean to embarrass you Ryoga," Akane said sincerely. "I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to Ranma, and to me."  
  
"Thank you Akane, you have always been so nice to me, even after I've done so many terrible things to you," Ryoga said, then looked even more embarrassed. "Now I've even stolen your form."  
  
"That was not your fault Ryoga," Akane said sternly. "It's true that you have done some things that can be looked upon as wrong, but everyone has done stuff that they regret later. No one is exempt from such things, and you are one of the few people that try and fix what they have wronged."  
  
"Are you sure that my curse does not bother you?" Ryoga asked, his voice showing his doubt.  
  
"It bothered me at first," Akane said truthfully. "But, I don't feel like that anymore. Right now when I look at you, I see my friend Ryoga, the man who has always been there when I need him, and is the only man that can truthfully call himself Ranma Saotome's best friend."  
  
Ryoga's embarrassment slowly faded. "Thank you Akane, I want you to know that I will always think of you as my friend. You have been more than a friend to me even though I did not deserve it, and you have been a wonderful friend to Akari."  
  
"Speaking of me," Akari said as she wrapped her arms around Ryoga's shoulder, shocking her. "I found a hot spring."  
  
"Jeez Akari," Ryoga said. "You scared the hell out of me."  
  
"I'm sorry, but you were saying such sweet things that I just couldn't interrupt," Akari said, the lightly blew into Ryoga's ear. "So, would you like to go take a bath?"  
  
Ryoga blushed. "I don't think we should go until Ranma wakes up, I don't want to leave Akane alone."  
  
Akari smiled and sat down on the grass.  
  
Ryoga looked back at Ranma and saw he was slowly coming to. She leaned over and looked a little concerned when Ranma's face screwed up in a look of pain. Ranma's eyes opened and he stared right at Ryoga, he smiled and slowly raised his head and placed his lips against Ryoga's.  
  
Ryoga stood stock still as Ranma lowered his head back down. He wore a sexy smile across his face and he was about to reach out for Ryoga's hand when Ryoga's anger took over.  
  
"Ranma! You are dead!"  
  
Ranma's expression changed to one of surprise when Ryoga raised her arms to strike him. He was even more surprised when another Akane stopped the other Akane from attacking him. That was when realization struck him.  
  
"Augh! I kissed Ryoga!" Ranma rushed to the nearby stream and began sucking water into his mouth.  
  
"I'm going to kill you!" Ryoga shouted as she tried to rush forward. But Akari was holding onto her arm.  
  
"Wait, calm down Ryoga, how could Ranma have known that it was you?" Akari asked as she struggled to hold Ryoga back.  
  
Ryoga stopped and turned to Akari. Her hand rose to the bandanna that adorned her head. "Akane doesn't wear a bandanna! I wear a bandanna!"  
  
Akari shook her head and kept her hold on Ryoga's arm.  
  
Akane went and knelt down beside Ranma. She stopped Ranma from spitting out anymore water.  
  
"I think you should apologize to him Ranma," Akane said. When she saw Ranma's incredulous look she continued. "When you feinted Ryoga was nearly in tears when he reached you."  
  
Ranma seemed to remember something and looked down at his side. There was a large rip in his shirt, and a lot of dried blood.  
  
"Ryoga pulled the piece of shrapnel from your side, and kept his hands on your side for almost an hour to try and stop the bleeding," Akane told him.  
  
Ranma looked up at Ryoga, whose look of pure rage was replaced by one of annoyance.  
  
Ryoga saw Ranma staring at her and snarled. "Next time I'm going to let you bleed to death."  
  
Akari smacked Ryoga's head. "That's a terrible thing to say!"  
  
Ranma smiled and got to his feet, he cautiously approached Ryoga and stopped three feet from him.  
  
"I'm sorry that I did that Ryoga, if I had known that it was you, you can bet that I would not have kissed you. I'm sorry for making you worry."  
  
Ryoga looked away and snorted. "I wasn't worried about you; I just didn't want to have to carry your limp corpse all the way back to Japan."  
  
Ranma smiled again. If Ryoga was talking like that, he wasn't angry anymore.  
  
Akari shook her head. "Ryoga, how can you call yourself Ranma's friend when you talk to him like that?"  
  
"Ah don't worry about it Akari," Ranma said. "I know he doesn't mean one damn word of it." Ranma punched Ryoga lightly on the arm.  
  
"He still shouldn't talk like that," Akari said, but she was smiling now.  
  
"So what are we going to do now?" Ranma asked the assembled group.  
  
"I'm worried about those soldiers tracking us down," Ryoga said. "If they catch up to us, things could get very messy. I know that I don't want to wait around for them."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Ryoga's right, we are probably going to have to kick things into high gear if were going to have the chance to escape China without confronting any type of authority."  
  
"I think we should probably head back to Nerima," Akane said. "If Phillip was able to get to Seiji in time I'm sure he could have saved him. I think that they will try and find us at home once they get out of China."  
  
"Akane's probably right," Ryoga said.  
  
"Yeah, I agree with the tomboy," Ranma said.  
  
Akari nodded her head but didn't speak. Ryoga looked over at her.  
  
"Is something wrong Akari?"  
  
"I just really hope the others are okay," she said, her voice very emotional.  
  
Ryoga put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Akari turned around and started crying into Ryoga's chest, which was very difficult considering that Ryoga's chest was not as flat as before.  
  
Ryoga looked at the others and smiled. "I think I had better take her to that hot spring, I can't very well comfort her like this."  
  
Ryoga led the weeping Akari into the trees.  
  
Ranma turned to Akane. "I really don't think Seiji could have survived Akane."  
  
Akane nodded sadly. "I know Ranma, I just hope the others managed to get out of there okay."  
  
"Ah, I don't think we have to worry about Phil he's probably already back in Japan," Ranma said. Then he looked at Akane a little lewdly. "Do you know if Akari said that there was more than one hot spring?"  
  
Akane smiled, "I don't know, let's go check it out."  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga set Akari down on a rock. She had stopped crying, but she looked like she would start any time soon.  
  
"I'm sure everyone made it away from Jusenkyo Akari, you know how strong they are. I hardly think that something like a gunshot is going to keep Seiji down."  
  
Akari looked at Ryoga. "Your right, I'm sorry it's just, he was always so nice and he did so many wonderful things for us."  
  
Ryoga nodded her head. "Yeah, when you were taken, he stopped me from destroying myself. Not physically, but mentally."  
  
Akari smiled. "Don't you ever do something like that Ryoga Hibiki, no matter what happens, I'll always come back to you."  
  
"Only if you promise that you'll never get kidnapped again, that stuffs for Akane, not you."  
  
"That's horrible," Akari said as she laughed.  
  
Ryoga smiled and got to her feet. "I'm going to change back; it's hard having a conversation with someone when you're in another person's body."  
  
As Ryoga was about to jump into the water Akari stopped him.  
  
"Don't you think it would be better if you didn't get your only set of clothes wet?" When Ryoga looked at her she smiled. "I know Ryoga, but you're going to have to get used to seeing yourself in this body."  
  
Ryoga took a breath and then quickly stripped out of her clothes. She didn't look down but instead kept her eyes at a perfect level gaze with Akari's. Slowly Ryoga backed up until she fell into the hot spring.  
  
When Ryoga came up he smiled and laughed. "Ah, now this is better."  
  
He did a few strokes through the water and then realized that Akari's gaze was still on him. He blushed and swam back to grab his boxers. When he reached the shore he found that his clothes were missing.  
  
"Akari, where's my clothes?" Ryoga asked, turning to look at her.  
  
Akari smiled and pointed to the branch from a tree. His clothes lay spread out on the branch.  
  
"Do you think you could get me my boxers please?"  
  
Akari walked over to the branch, but instead of complying with Ryoga's request, she began to remove her sweater-vest. She heard Ryoga 'eep' and heard the distinct sound of someone turning around very fast in water. She removed her blouse next. She pulled down her slip and knee-high socks. After that she was clad only in her bra and panties. She quickly removed those, aware that she was blushing furiously.  
  
Akari took small steps toward the spring. She had heard correctly, Ryoga was now facing away from her. She silently slipped into the water and made her way over to Ryoga, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I love you Ryoga," she whispered into his ear as she moved closer to him, hugging her arms around Ryoga's chest.  
  
Ryoga was very embarrassed. He didn't know what he would do if Ranma or Akane showed up. He also didn't know what he would do if they didn't show up. Slowly he found his voice.  
  
"I love you too Akari. But I don't know if this is a good idea," he said softly.  
  
"Why is that dear?" she asked as she moved her hands up his chest.  
  
"Because I don't know where this is going to lead, and I don't want to do something that you're not ready for," Ryoga said truthfully.  
  
"When a girl presses up against you when you're both naked, that generally means that she's ready for anything," Akari told him. To emphasize her words, she slowly swam around him, so she could look at his face and so he could see her. "And I am ready Ryoga; I've been ready for a long time."  
  
Ryoga looked at her and she could see that his blush was slowly decreasing.  
  
"Are you sure you're ready?" Ryoga asked, making sure his eyes did not divert any lower that Akari's neck.  
  
Akari didn't answer him; instead she moved her body right up against his and kissed him. Ryoga's arms came down around her and held her tightly. He stood up and carried her towards the edge.  
  
"If we are going to do this Akari, let's do it right," Ryoga said huskily.  
  
Akari could only nod her head as she felt herself begin to swoon. Ryoga set her down on the cool grass and stood in front of her, taking in the sight of her body. He didn't look embarrassed and he wasn't getting a nosebleed. Akari took this as a sign that he was really going to do it.  
  
Ryoga smiled and moved down on top of her. He felt like he might faint any second. But when he saw Akari's face, looking at him with a look of pureness and love it made him want to cry.  
  
Akari saw Ryoga's look, she was finding very hard for her to not pounce on him, but she knew that she needed to let him take his time.  
  
Ryoga found some sound footing and lowered himself onto her.  
  
===============  
  
Mousse looked across the alleyway. He looked intently down it, but he didn't see anyone so he slowly moved down it.  
  
"Shampoo, are you in here?" Mousse whispered sharply. There was no answer.  
  
Mousse shook his head sadly, he still couldn't find Shampoo. She had left the Cat Café earlier and said that she was going to do some reconnaissance. His offer to go along was denied and he had waited, and waited, until he could no longer deny that something must have happened. He had neglected to call any of the others and he was now coming to the understanding that it was a mistake.  
  
He left the alley and turned down the busy streets. He jumped to one of the many shop's roof and began scanning the crowd from there. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and cursed. His near-sightedness was going to cause him to lose Shampoo. He spotted what looked like someone leaping across a rooftop further down the street.  
  
Mousse took off after the figure and quickly caught up to them. It was Shampoo and she didn't even pay attention to him. Mousse followed her and could see that Shampoo was following some car. When the car finally stopped outside a large apartment building, Mousse made his presence known.  
  
"Who are they?" he asked. Shampoo looked over her shoulder in surprise but quickly regained her composure.  
  
"I no know, they sit outside Tendo house and then drive away. I follow across town, see them pick up more people," Shampoo told him.  
  
"Do you think it's them?" Mousse asked.  
  
"Maybe, they go inside building and we wait until come back yes?"  
  
Mousse nodded. "It would be best if we waited for them. Tell me Shampoo, did you call anyone and tell them about this?"  
  
"No," Shampoo shook her head. "I no close to any phone."  
  
Mousse looked at her puzzlingly for a moment. "Didn't you have the cell phone that the old ghoul gave you?"  
  
Shampoo blushed and looked embarrassed. "I don't know how to use such a thing."  
  
Mousse smiled and knelt down, holding out his hand for Shampoo's phone. "It's really not that hard Shampoo, let me show you."  
  
Mousse showed Shampoo the basics of the cell phone and how to call someone.  
  
"Should we call great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Yes," Mousse nodded. "She already made it quite clear that she wanted to be kept up to date on everything that happens."  
  
Shampoo dialed a number and when she placed it to her ear she was greeted by static.  
  
"You see!" she whispered loudly. "I tell you I know nothing of these machines."  
  
Mousse chuckled and took out his own cell phone. He dialed Cologne's number and held it up to his ear. He was greeted by static as well.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
"Look like Shampoo not only one that have trouble with phone," Shampoo said smugly.  
  
Mousse looked at her and shrugged. "Maybe the batteries are in wrong."  
  
Mousse did everything he had been shown to do in case his phone went out, but nothing worked. He stared at the phone, willing it to work.  
  
"Something is very wrong, I did everything there is to this damn thing, and it still doesn't work."  
  
"What should we do?" Shampoo asked.  
  
Mousse shrugged. "Perhaps we could just leave for a minute?"  
  
Shampoo didn't get to answer. Both Amazon's attention was diverted to the other side of the rooftop. There stood five men dressed in expensive black suits, all holding handguns at arms length.  
  
"You won't be going anywhere," one of the men said. He saw that both of them were considering jumping down from the roof. "If you jump I'm going to give the order and all the men that I put on the Tendo Dojo and the Kuno mansion will enter, and they will kill everyone inside."  
  
Mousse stood, dropping his cell phone. "We won't try anything, just don't give that order."  
  
The man backed up and stepped to the side. "Okay, if you'll be so kind as to come with us, we'll take you for a little ride."  
  
===============  
  
Yumi kicked in the front door of the Tendo house, dashing inside with his gun drawn. Three other Yakuza members dashed in and followed Yumi as they moved through the house, checking every room. He found the two women sitting at a dinner table. Before they could react he had motioned for one of the others to stay in the room. Yumi ran across the room and quickly moved upstairs. He searched every room but they were all empty.  
  
"Shit!" Yumi cursed as he came downstairs. But his mood changed when he saw the other two had gotten Ono Tofu. He herded the doctor into the room with the other two women, the doctor stood protectively in front of them.  
  
"There are still the two old men," Yumi told the others as he turned around. "Search the Dojo," he ordered.  
  
The last two Yakuza left.  
  
Five minutes later they had still not returned.  
  
Yumi left the room and walked outside to where the last of the Yakuza that had gone with his group were patrolling the area. He stopped one of them.  
  
"Go into the dining room where Hiro is and help him hold the hostages."  
  
Yumi walked to the Dojo and found the two older men; they were tying the two Yakuza he had sent together with rope. They turned when they sensed Yumi. He drew his pistol and held it out, keeping his sights lined up on the man wearing the white gi. They didn't move, Yumi slowly approached, knowing that there was no way he could hit either of them from the distance he was at.  
  
"Don't move. If you so much as move your finger I'm going to shoot you," he said, all the while moving closer and closer. Once he was about five feet from the Dojo doors he stopped. "Both of you come out, one at a time."  
  
They began to move out, but when the one with the mustache tripped and fell, the other man stopped. Yumi moved his gun to point at the man wearing the white gi. But as he directed his attention to the other man, the mustached man rolled when he hit the ground and popped up, kicking Yumi's hand, sending the gun flying. The mustached man then used his extended leg to sweep around and knock Yumi's legs out from underneath him. As he fell, the man in the white gi came charging, delivering a double fisted punch to Yumi's chest.  
  
Yumi was sent flying into the walls that surrounded the house. His breath was knocked from him and he couldn't stand. He watched as the two men congratulated each other.  
  
"Excellent Tendo!" the man in the white gi said, clapping the man he called Tendo on the back.  
  
"Well, you were great getting the other two using the Umisen-Ken, Saotome," Tendo said.  
  
With their elation over they hopped onto the roof, moving across it at a speed that surprised Yumi.  
  
===============  
  
Genma watched from the roof as the Yakuza members guarded the entire house.  
  
"This is going to be tricky Tendo," he said.  
  
"I agree, do you have any ideas?" Soun asked.  
  
"I think it would be best if did this separately. That way we can get this done faster," Genma explained.  
  
"Okay, I'll go towards the gates; you go to the rear of the house and get inside through the bathroom window," Soun told him as he moved across the roof.  
  
Genma didn't reply as he quickly moved in the other direction across the roof, slipping into the Umisen-Ken as he did so. His entrance went unnoticed and Genma was relieved to see that the bathroom was empty. He silently slid the door open and entered the laundry room. His ear was pressed to the door and he neither heard nor sensed any movement from the other side. He cracked the door open and moved into the hallway. Before he had moved to the stairs he could tell that there was someone at the base of the stairs.  
  
Genma decided that jumping at the man would be best, which he did. As he descended on the man Genma lashed out, punching the man at the base of his neck, making his body collapse like a sack of potatoes. Genma forgot to catch the body and it slumped to the floor, making a rather distinguishable noise.  
  
There were a few muffled noises and then the sound of some people running. Genma hung from the roof until the other Yakuza came running to the stairs. He fell behind them and smacked their heads together. This time he caught their bodies and slowly lowered them to the ground.  
  
He looked down the hall but saw no one. Slowly but purposely he made his way until coming right beside the doors that lead into the dining room. He could here Dr. Tofu talking in a hushed whisper. Genma couldn't tell just how many people were on the inside so he decided to make an improvisation. He reached across from him towards a small table that held a vase, and tipped it over.  
  
Someone instantly ran from the room and into the hallway, gun raised.  
  
Genma grabbed the man's extended arm and pulled it down. The gun went off, sending a few rounds harmlessly into the ground. As the man spun to face Genma, his gun was slapped from his hand and kicked down the hall. Genma effortlessly picked the man up and threw him down the hall. Genma left him alone and ran into the dining room.  
  
There was only one other Yakuza inside and Genma made a dive for him. As he did so, he heard a gun go off. That surprised him, but what surprised him more was when a bullet slammed into his leg. He grunted but otherwise he didn't recognize the hit, until he was knocked to the ground by the butt of the pistol the man he had dived at held. Genma felt his vision fading to black and he slowly turned and saw that the man he and Soun had taken out was the one that had shot him.  
  
Before Genma could slip into unconsciousness, he heard the sound of a katana being drawn.  
  
"Stay away from him!"  
  
Genma's eyes widened in horror when he heard Nodoka yell out. He raised his head and saw that his wife was standing off to his right, holding her katana to point at the man that had pistol-whipped him. He could see that Nodoka's hands were shaking and the Yakuza member she was facing was smiling at her.  
  
Genma placed his palms on the floor and shot to his legs. He didn't bother wincing when his leg protested the movement.  
  
"Don't Move!"  
  
The man looked at Genma in surprise and didn't react when Genma lunged at him.  
  
"Moko Kaimon Ha!"  
  
Genma threw his arms in a curving motion across the man's chest and kicked him in the abdomen at the same moment.  
  
The Yakuza man flew back, his chest cut open and his arms flailing wildly.  
  
Before Genma's feet touched the ground, the pain overcame him and his foot missed the ground and he slowly fell to the ground. He looked over at the man in the yard and saw that Soun had come from the roof and knocked him unconscious.  
  
Genma hit the ground and heard Nodoka cry out. He slowly turned over so he could face her. She was kneeling beside him with tears streaming down her face. Genma's last coherent thought before he passed out was that his wife's pretty face shouldn't have to shed so many tears.  
  
===============  
  
"These cell phones are a godsend," Cologne said. She lifted her cup of tea to her lips and sipped.  
  
Cologne and Happosai had decided to stay at the Kuno mansion for the night. After making sure that everyone was present and accounted for, they began to relax.  
  
"Yeah, but the only bad thing I can find is that people can find the most annoying times to call," Nabiki said. "Last night I was taking a shower when this thing rang."  
  
Happosai checked the clock on the wall and got to his feet.  
  
"I'm going to call Shampoo and see how they're doing," he told everyone as he left the room.  
  
"Is it just me or has he been kind of depressed?" Nabiki asked Cologne.  
  
"Oh, well he's probably sad because I've been keeping his perverseness at a minimum for the past week," Cologne said.  
  
Happosai came back into the room.  
  
"Cologne, give me your phone, something's wrong with mine."  
  
"What's wrong?" Cologne asked as she handed her cell phone over.  
  
"When I tried to call Shampoo all I got was static," he answered as he dialed a number. He put it to his ear and frowned. "Yours is doing it too."  
  
"Let me see," Cologne said, taking the phone from Happosai and dialing Shampoo's number from memory. She was greeted with static as well.  
  
Nabiki took out her phone and dialed Cologne's. She received static as well.  
  
"I hardly think that all three phones could have suddenly been broken," Happosai said.  
  
Cologne got to her feet. "We had better check up on everyone first."  
  
Cologne and Happosai left and Nabiki was left alone. She sighed and left the room.  
  
Walking the halls of the mansion Nabiki felt very alone. Most of the hallways did not have their lights on and Nabiki could not find the light switch. After five minutes of stumbling through the dark she bumped into someone.  
  
"Oww, sorry," she muttered as she looked up at whoever she had bumped into.  
  
"Don't move," the person said, he held a gun that Nabiki recognized as one of those things that the American guards wear at the Embassy. She didn't have time to think of anything else. The man swung the gun around and smacked her across the head. She fell back down to the ground.  
  
===============  
  
Ukyo watched the night sky from her room. It was quite large for one person, and for someone that didn't have a lot to do but sit in it, it was very large. She sighed as a flicker of lightning flashed across the clouds.  
  
The rumble of the thunder was a little loud, and her window rattled a little.  
  
There was a knock at her door and she called out to whoever it was to come in.  
  
Konatsu entered and bowed formally to her, Ukyo didn't bother returning it.  
  
"Good evening Miss Ukyo," he greeted. Ukyo grunted in reply. "I was just wondering what you were doing."  
  
Ukyo waved absentmindedly towards the window.  
  
"Oh," the Kunoichi said. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Ukyo snorted. "About as well as anyone can when they're being hunted by the Yakuza."  
  
Ukyo realized that Konatsu was not responsible for any of this, and she was being a complete and total jerk to him. She turned to face him.  
  
"I'm sorry Konatsu, I guess I'm still feeling sorry for myself," she said. "Having your heart broken is never something that makes you feel cheerful."  
  
Konatsu seemed to deflate over her response. "I'm bothering you, I will leave."  
  
He got up to leave.  
  
"No!" Ukyo's response was a little louder than she had intended. "You will sit here and talk with me."  
  
Konatsu immediately complied and sat down on the floor. Ukyo motioned for him to sit on the bed.  
  
"What do you wish to talk about?" Konatsu asked as he sat down on the bed.  
  
"I don't know," Ukyo admitted. She slowly turned and looked out the window again. It had begun to rain.  
  
"Perhaps we should just sit then?" Konatsu suggested lightly. His voice held a sad note to it.  
  
This did not escape Ukyo's notice and she turned back around and got up from her perch and sat down beside Konatsu.  
  
"Listen Konatsu, I'm not exactly the best person with words, and I've never really been good at expressing my feelings or anything," she told him. "But what I want to tell you is that I very appreciate your being here. I get very depressed when I'm alone."  
  
"You are a very happy person Miss Ukyo," Konatsu said. "It is never fitting to see you looking sad."  
  
"Drop the Miss part, I'm just Ukyo."  
  
"Yes Mis-, Ukyo," he said proudly. "Maybe we should talk about the restaurant?"  
  
"No," Ukyo shook her head. "Maybe we should talk about you."  
  
"I don't think I am a very interesting subject," Konatsu said. "I would like to hear about you though."  
  
"Did I ever tell you that you are a very good friend?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Just a friend?" Konatsu asked quietly.  
  
"Maybe you are more, I'm not sure," Ukyo said. "I've never been too sure of things in my life, but there have been some constants. Ranma being one of them," She saw Konatsu's pained look. "And now I come to feel that you are a constant as well."  
  
Ukyo looked at Konatsu's face and saw that he was frowning. She was about to say something else when Konatsu pushed her to the floor. He motioned for her to remain quiet.  
  
He peered out the window and saw the parked sedans outside the house. There were people rushing into the house with guns. Konatsu came back and knelt down beside Ukyo.  
  
"They are here," he told her.  
  
Ukyo immediately reached for her battle spatula, but her hand was stayed by Konatsu's. She looked up at him.  
  
"You must remain here Ukyo; these men are far too dangerous."  
  
Ukyo was about to spout a protest when she saw Konatsu's face. He was deadly serious. She nodded and moved her hand back. Konatsu seemed to let go almost reluctantly. He smiled once for her and then dashed out of the room, closing the door and turning the light off.  
  
Konatsu removed some small shurikans from his kimono and moved silently through the house. He looked into the courtyard from a window and saw the men had split up, and was now moving through the house to cover every inch of it. And there were enough men for them to cover every room inside the Kuno mansion.  
  
As he moved down the hall there was a brilliant flash of lightning and the lights flickered out. He smiled to himself. He could very easily attack the intruders now.  
  
===============  
  
Nabiki awoke when she felt someone kicking her in the side. Her eyes slowly opened and she was greeted to the sight of three men standing beside her. She realized that she was lying on the grass inside the courtyard.  
  
"What are we going to do with her?" One of the men asked.  
  
"They told us we were to shoot all inconsequential people," another man answered in a tone that made Nabiki shiver. "I didn't see her picture on any of the files that came our way."  
  
"But I'm sure we can find some things to do with her before we have to kill her."  
  
Nabiki's stomach twisted itself into knot. She fought back the tears in her eyes when one of the men reached down and grabbed her by her short hair and lifted her to her feet. As she was being led back to the house she stumbled and fell to the ground. It was dark out and Nabiki had tripped over a rock. One of the men growled and reached down and punched her in the stomach. The air rushed from her lungs as her eyes filled with tears again.  
  
I'm going to die, Nabiki thought. Bile rose in her throat when she heard what they were saying now.  
  
"Don't hurt her too bad; we'll want her in good condition when we get back. That way she'll last a lot longer."  
  
The man reached down and his hand was clearly not going for her hair this time. Nabiki tried to scream her defiance but instead she started crying. The man laughed and Nabiki finally saw his face when lightning flashed. She spit at his face and tried to get to her feet.  
  
She was kicked in the ribs and Nabiki fell to the ground, gasping for air. One of the men picked her up again, roughly by the hair. She looked and saw that he now held a knife in his hands.  
  
"Try that again and you'll have a new hole to breath out of."  
  
Nabiki sobbed and tightly shut her eyes, praying that it would all be over. When nothing happened she slowly opened her eyes and saw that the man was gazing down at her chest. Her shirt had been ripped and now showed a fair deal of cleavage. The man's hand moved to her chest.  
  
There was a flash of lightning and Nabiki heard the whoosh of air as the sound of a sword swinging downward passed her ears. The man screamed as his hand was very cleanly sliced off and Nabiki was dropped to the ground.  
  
The other men brought their guns to bear on someone that Nabiki couldn't see. She tried to sit up but her body didn't want to comply. She heard the sound of a gun going off, that was immediately followed by the sound of muffled screams.  
  
She heard someone breathing heavily and then the padding of feet on grass. The person was walking towards her. He knelt down beside her and she clenched her eyes shut again.  
  
"Did they hurt thy Nabiki Tendo?"  
  
Nabiki's eyes shot open. That didn't sound like some Yakuza scum.  
  
"Kuno?" she asked quietly as she fought the pain that came when she sat up. Kuno was kneeling before her, a katana at his side, covered with blood. His eyes held nothing but concern. Her eyes filled with tears again and she wrapped her arms around Kuno, not caring about the pain that presented itself from her side.  
  
"I apologize for my lateness Nabiki Tendo, but I could not find my blade in the dark," Kuno told her. He wrapped his arm around her and heard her hiss in pain. "They harmed thee," it was a statement.  
  
Nabiki felt Kuno very slowly set her on the ground; she opened her eyes and saw the kendoist walking towards the bodies of the men that had attacked her. He took his katana and wiped the blood on the man's shirt.  
  
"Your blood is far too stained to have the honor of touching my blade," he told the lifeless body as he came back to Nabiki.  
  
He lifted her in his arms and cradled her until they reached the house. He set her on the ground and stood to go inside.  
  
"Wait Kuno-baby!" she heard herself saying.  
  
He stopped and turned. "I am sorry Nabiki Tendo, but there is something I must do before I can tend to your wounds."  
  
"What are you going to do?" It was a stupid question; she knew exactly what he was going to do.  
  
"I shall teach these men what the consequences are when you enter the Kuno house uninvited," he said then looked at her. "They will pay for harming thee. I will not be long."  
  
Nabiki watched him go. She felt a wave of terror wash over her as Kuno disappeared from view. That meant that she now had no protector. She spun around when she heard someone approaching from the courtyard. She saw Konatsu walking towards her.  
  
"He asked me to watch over you," he told her.  
  
Nabiki nodded. Konatsu picked her up and carried her upstairs towards Ukyo's room. He opened it and set Nabiki down on the bed. He turned to Ukyo.  
  
"Make sure she doesn't try and get up, I think she may have some broken ribs," he said and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
Ukyo turned back to Nabiki and saw that she was asleep. She smiled to herself and went back to the chair she had been sitting in. She hoisted her battle spatula back to her shoulder and waited.  
  
===============  
  
As the cars sped down the streets of Tokyo, no one seemed to notice the two Chinese amazons in the back seat of one of the cars. Nor did they notice that the cars were heading down towards Nerima.  
  
"Do you want to know why your cell phone didn't work?" the man from the passenger seat asked.  
  
Mousse looked at the man but didn't answer. Shampoo was very still next to Mousse. He suspected that she was fighting the urge to beat the shit out of their captures.  
  
"We went down to the generators on the far side of town, the one's that supply the city with power, and stuck this disk into their computers that we got from America. What it does is it sends out a signal that intercepts any cell phone signal, and sends it back to the person's phone, so all they get is static or some message that says their phone is not properly working."  
  
Mousse didn't reply, and instead settled for looking out the window. As he did so, he spotted someone running and jumping across the rooftops, taking glances at the cars every few seconds. Mousse knew that there were very few people in Nerima that could do that and he had narrowed the suspects down to Happosai or Cologne.  
  
He leaned over to Shampoo and nudged her. When she looked at him he motioned with his head to look out her window. He watched as her eyes widened in surprise. She turned to face him and he nodded his head once. When Mousse went back to his window, he gave the figure on the rooftop the thumbs up.  
  
Shampoo did the same on her side and then turned and grabbed the man's head from the passenger side and swung it to the left as Mousse did the same to the man driving. Their heads smacked together with a sickening thud, and they lost consciousness. The driver fell forward and landed on the steering wheel. The car swung and nearly flipped but instead slammed into a lamppost. Shampoo and Mousse were fazed but unhurt.  
  
The car ahead of them came to an abrupt stop, and then its occupants poured out. Before they even got past the car, a wooden staff was sent flying from a rooftop and passed through one of the Yakuza's member's legs, sending him stumbling to the ground. The men on the other side of the car were stopped when a very short man appeared in front of them. One of the men drew his gun and fired a three-round burst at the small man.  
  
People on the streets started screaming and running when the shots rang out.  
  
The small man smiled when the shots rang out. The bullets were traveling at a speed of 850 feet per second. He simply plucked them from their intended path and dropped them casually to the ground. He moved with speed that surpassed the bullets and dispatched the two men with a quick ki shot.  
  
By this time the police had been called and their sirens were faint but distinguishable. Shampoo and Mousse had freed themselves from the car and were walking over to the other car when Cologne called to them.  
  
"Lead them up here Happy!"  
  
Happosai jumped to the rooftops on the other side of the street with Mousse and Shampoo following him. They quickly made their escape; the police had arrived on the scene.  
  
"What happened?" Cologne asked as they made their way across the rooftops.  
  
"It seems the Yakuza knew of our following them," Mousse told her. "They also said that they were going to commit operations tonight against the Tendo Dojo and the Kuno estate."  
  
"Then we had best hurry," Cologne said.  
  
When they arrived at the Tendo Dojo, there was an ambulance. Cologne sent Happosai inside to check on things while the others went to the Kuno estate.  
  
There was no ambulance or police there. And all the lights in the estate were off. They entered and were greeted by a very grisly sight. Bodies littered the hallways. All looked to have been hit with either a sword or by small throwing devices. Some of the men were alive and Cologne decided that the police would need to be called.  
  
They found Konatsu outside a room. His clothes were blood soaked and he looked very tired.  
  
"Where is everyone?" Cologne asked. There was no need to ask what had happened, that was very obvious.  
  
Konatsu looked at her tiredly for a second. "Ukyo and Nabiki are in here. I don't know where Kuno went, but from the sounds of all the screams, I'd say he was around the northern end of the house."  
  
Konatsu promptly fainted when he had finished telling them that. They carried him into the room. Ukyo and Nabiki were awake and looking at the door with terrified expressions. Once they recognized who they were, they relaxed.  
  
"Where's Kuno?" Nabiki asked first.  
  
"I'm not sure, I'll go look for him," Cologne said. She left Mousse and Shampoo to tell the others about what had happened.  
  
Cologne found herself feeing very sick to her stomach as she continued down the halls. There were bullet holes and sword slashes all over the place. Men had their limbs cut off, and they were still more or less conscious. Cologne was thankful that she had reminded Happosai to tell the ambulance crew to send some people over to the Kuno estate.  
  
She found Kuno collapsed against the wall of the room leading to the kitchen. He had many marks upon his torso. Cologne could tell that he had been nicked by ricochets and fragments from bullets. He wasn't dead, but he had collapsed from exhaustion.  
  
Cologne found herself marveling at the boy's resiliency. He had move through the entire house and had taken many hits, but had only collapsed once the last of the Yakuza were down.  
  
The night had been a long one, but it eventually gave way to daylight. Though for some it could not have come soon enough.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter was released about two days after I arrived home, which goes to show just how determined I was to churn out another chapter as quick as I could.  
  
I'm going to write a few explanations about this chapter. The scene between Ryoga and Akari is as close as I'm going for sex scenes. For those wondering about the thing the Yakuza used to cancel out the cell phones, that technology does exist. And through some exhaustive research I found that it did indeed exist in 1995 as well, so I included it in the story. The Yakuza does not usually do such things as I have them doing in this story. For the most part they act like petty criminals, but they can become very violent during little gang wars  
  
Some people may be asking why Dr. Tofu did not try anything when the Yakuza attacked. First of all, he is a doctor, and doctors, no matter what part of the world, take an oath to never harm a living creature. I believe Dr. Tofu would be a man that would take such an oath seriously and even if his and his friend's lives were threatened, would not lash out.  
  
The American military has already investigated and finished their research on the Yakuza and they conclude that they are not a threat to the American people. While I agree that they do not pose a threat towards America or neighboring countries, I do feel that the Yakuza should be dealt with. The Japanese police force and military are certainly not equipped to deal with them.  
  
That's all the ranting I'm going to do for now, I would greatly appreciate it if people could write a review. 


	23. Debt of Honor Chapter 2 Political Conseq...

Debt of Honor Chapter 2 Political Consequences  
  
Phillip Sheridan Parker III smiled at the guards as he passed the front gate. They didn't bother asking him for identification. He was the Director of Operations at Langley, and few people didn't know that. Parker was in good shape for his age, (he was sixty-seven) and he took good care of his body. He had learned about proper health while being in the army. If your body couldn't last through the day, then your mind sure as hell wouldn't, and in his job, he needed to be mentally alert for very long periods of time.  
  
He waved at a few people once he entered CIA headquarters. Not that many people offered anything more than a greeting to him. People didn't usually want to risk offending a man that had on occasion, had a drink with the DCI (Director of Central Intelligence) and President of the United States. That suited Parker just fine, he didn't necessarily want to get close to the people that carried out the missions that he helped put together. You did that because you couldn't really tell if that person was going to be sent to a foreign land and might end up being caught as an intelligence officer and wind up with a bullet in the back of his head.  
  
Parker came up to his office and greeted his secretary, the one he shared with DI (Director of Intelligence). He opened his office door and closed it, then turned.  
  
"Hello dad."  
  
Parker nearly yelled out in surprise when he saw his son, Phillip Sheridan Parker IV, sitting at his chair behind his desk.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Phillip smiled and stood up. "Why yes dad, I'm doing just fine, how's mom?"  
  
"I'm serious Phillip, how the hell did you get in here?" Parker demanded.  
  
"Your friend across the hall was nice enough to let me in."  
  
The adjoining door between the DO and DI's office opened and Earl Murray, Director of Intelligence, walked in.  
  
"I wish I could have seen his face," Murray said to Phillip.  
  
"Oh don't worry, it was probably the same face he had when you told him that he would be taking a pay cut from the army."  
  
"Does one of you want to tell me what the hells going on here?" Parker asked them.  
  
"I'm not so sure myself actually," Murray admitted. "I'm a bit curious myself; all Phillip told me was that he had something that he wished to discuss with both of us if possible."  
  
"You guys had better take a seat then," Phillip said motioning for them to sit in the two chairs that sat in front of the desk. Parker hesitated but sat down.  
  
"Now," Phillip began, "I want you two to know that I got in from China last night, so my body clock is on China time. While I was over there I was with a mutual acquaintance of both of you, Seiji Inafune."  
  
"How is that old fool?" Murray asked. He saw the pained expression on Phillip's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Seiji died while we were in China," Phillip said. He had practiced saying that and he was still having trouble holding back the tears.  
  
"What?" Phillip and Murray asked simultaneously.  
  
"He was hit by a sniper and then he used a grenade to kill a bunch of PLA soldiers and in the process he died as well."  
  
"What do you mean he was hit by a sniper?" Parker asked. "Does this have something to do with what you called me about while you were over there?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm going to start from the beginning," Phillip said, and then looked at both of them. "This is going to take some time. Am I going to be interrupted?"  
  
Parker got up from his seat and walked to the door; he opened and stuck his head out. "Sharon, make sure Earl and I are not disturbed until lunch, and cancel whatever appointments I had."  
  
He came back and sat down. "Go ahead."  
  
Phillip nodded his thanks and began. "Four years ago, Seiji got into trouble with the Yakuza. It seems they wanted to use him for their operations but he wouldn't do anything like that. They somehow forced him into it and were able to keep him there for awhile. About two or three months ago, he met two young Japanese teenagers. They are martial artists and trust me, some of the shit they can do is pretty amazing. Anyway, Seiji got these two to help him take down the drug operation in Tokyo; I think you'll remember the news story about that fire in downtown Tokyo that destroyed a bunch of buildings. Well, after that they came under pretty heavy fire from the Yakuza and they slipped into China."  
  
"This was around the time you asked me to go visit him General," Phillip said, and then continued with his story. "But what Seiji didn't know was that, the Yakuza obviously has some major connections with the Chinese Politburo, because about one day after they arrived, a Chinese Special Forces team tried to arrest them. I found out about this and was able to help them escape by keeping Seiji and the two Japanese martial artists and their fiancées at the British embassy. It seems that the two martial artists had some kind of curse put on them, and I'm serious this was a for-real curse, and they were going to a place called Jusenkyo that was located in the province of Qing Hai. We decided we should go there, and along the way we ran into some guy named Koga, he was a big time drug producer for China and Japan."  
  
"I say was because one of the Japanese martial artists flipped out when he thought they had killed his fiancée and ripped them all apart, and I mean literally ripped them apart. He other martial artist's fiancée was kidnapped at that point and that was when I met Isamu Kimura, a big name over in the Yakuza. He agreed to come with us after Jusenkyo and he would tell me everything he knew. But when we were going to Jusenkyo I happened to come to the house of a counter-revolutionary and bribed him into giving us some guns and stuff. We went to Jusenkyo but apparently the guide or whatever wasn't there and we had to wait."  
  
"I had set up further away from the place with a sniper rifle, so I could keep an eye on things. When Seiji came to tell me about the guide, the kidnapper and that Kimura guy showed up with Ryoga's girlfriend. Seiji ran back their when he was just about to get there, a sniper took a shot at him and hit him in the shoulder. That Kimura knocked down the other kidnapper and grabbed the martial artist's fiancée and returned her before hiding. Because once they shot Seiji, the whole place erupted in gunfire."  
  
"The Yakuza somehow got a hold of a bunch of PLA soldiers and they started shooting up this Jusenkyo place. I took out as many as I could with the rifle and then I ran like the wind to get Seiji and ducked into the hut with Kimura. The soldiers were lighting the place up with gunfire and it was really hairy. Seiji told me to take Kimura and get out of there. I didn't want to leave him but he gave me no other choice. I gave him my grenades and as we were running, I heard them all go off."  
  
Parker and Murray looked at each other for a moment.  
  
"Seiji told me to tell you that that was the way he went out, killing as many as those godless bastards as he could," Phil said, his voice cracking.  
  
General Parker got up from his seat and hugged his son. Tears threatened to escape his eyes but he kept himself in check.  
  
"I shouldn't have left him, I should've taken him with me," Phil whispered.  
  
Parker released his son and sat back down, heavily.  
  
"What about the body?" Murray asked from his seat.  
  
Phil shook his head. "There were soldiers crawling all over the place, I couldn't even get within a mile of the place."  
  
"What about Ishii?" Murray asked. "Has someone told him?"  
  
"Ishii was there Earl," Phil answered quietly. "He nearly lost it when he heard the grenade go off."  
  
"The poor boy," Murray said quietly. "Where is he now?"  
  
"I sent him back to Japan so he could find the two martial artist's families and tell them about what happened. I sent Kimura with him too. Right now I'm trying to think of a way to get the others out of China."  
  
"Do you think you could tell us their names?" Murray asked.  
  
"Ranma Saotome, Ryoga Hibiki, Akari Unryuu, and Akane Tendo," Phil told them.  
  
"So right now they are probably still inside China," Parker said, getting to his feet and started pacing. "What we need to do is think of a way to get them out of there without making some kind of political incident."  
  
"You mean your actually going to help?" Murray asked, surprised.  
  
"From what Phil has told me, these children helped Seiji out, and anyone that is a friend of Seiji Inafune's is a friend of mine," General Parker said.  
  
"That reminds me," Phil said. "I happened to hear while I was in China from Koga, moments before he was disemboweled, that the Chinese were going to take Taiwan back by force."  
  
"What?" Parker and Murray's heads snapped around.  
  
"Yeah, that Kimura guy has some documentation on the subject, and he said he should be able to get some information about it because the Yakuza and the Politburo don't know that Minoru and Koga are dead."  
  
"We need to see that man Phillip, right now," Murray said.  
  
"Get him on the phone right now," Parker ordered. "I want to be able to confirm this and carry it to the DCI today."  
  
Phillip looked a little flustered. "I don't think that he would be back in Japan yet."  
  
"Then call wherever he's supposed to land and leave instructions with whoever's there that this man must be put on the next flight to Washington D.C."  
  
===============  
  
Zhisheng put an extra spring into his step. Today was the day that he was going to get final confirmation on the assassination of the Taiwanese president.  
  
The spring in his step left as soon as it had come.  
  
"We received a rather disturbing report today comrades," Premier Renyang said at the start of the meeting. "It seems that there were six Japanese in our country last week, and they were traveling with diplomatic passports with no relation to any diplomatic organization. As I began to look deeper into the reports that I received, I realized that they were terrorists. Nomuri Koga's body was discovered yesterday by a cabin located outside of Xining, along with fourteen other bodies. These terrorists then went deep into Qing Hai, right into the Bayankala mountain range. It was there that the local military base received a written order that ordered them into the mountains and that they were to kill all of the occupants."  
  
"I never received a word of this written order and I would like to know who authorized it?" Renyang asked the assembled men.  
  
Zhisheng got up from his chair and cleared his throat. "Comrades, I must admit that I am at fault here. I gave the Yakuza authorization to use PLA resources for whatever they will need in completing their mission."  
  
"You had no right to do that!" Wei Liang flared. "I am the head of the PLA; you must get my authorization before you do anything involving them!"  
  
Zhisheng glared at Liang. "The last meeting we held, you agreed to allow the Yakuza to be the organization from which we will complete the assassination, and then we all agreed that we will do anything to help them, short of actually participating in the mission."  
  
Renyang spoke. "But I also wanted to have all matters passed before the Politburo so that everyone could be brought up to date on all the issues."  
  
"I received the call at three a.m. comrade; the Yakuza member said that it was of the up-most importance that he gets the help from those troops. So I sent them, and now I have received word that the terrorists you spoke of have escaped, and now the Yakuza member and the half the troops are dead."  
  
"I will have to speak to the Japanese prime minister about this," Renyang said. "Perhaps he will be able to help us get these men and take care of them."  
  
"As far as I know the terrorists are still in China," Zhisheng said. "I have every border and airport watching for them."  
  
"Good," Renyang smiled. "Now that that is out of the way, let us go on to other business."  
  
Zhisheng let out the breath he had been holding. He had been facing immediate expulsion from the Politburo, and now he was receiving praise. Maybe he would have a better day than he thought.  
  
===============  
  
The path wasn't paved but it looked as if there had been a steady stream of traffic going over it, so they had decided that the best idea would be to follow it until they got back to civilization.  
  
Ranma glanced over at Akari for the fifth time since they started out. She was walking strangely but not in a way that would be noticeable to other people. He also noticed that she kept stealing glances at Ryoga and then blushing when she looked back. Ranma wasn't sure what to make of it, except that something must have happened between them. He slowly moved himself so he was walking beside Ryoga and gently pulled his aside from the girls.  
  
"What is it Ranma?" Ryoga asked worriedly.  
  
"Did something happen between you and Akari?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Eh?" Ryoga blushed and immediately looked over at Akari, who had been looking at him. "Nothing happened."  
  
"Yeah right," Ranma said. "I suppose that blush is just there because you like the cold weather then."  
  
"Mind your own business Ranma," Ryoga said, so sharply that Ranma backed up.  
  
Ranma shrugged his shoulders and went back to his place beside Akane.  
  
"How long do you think it will take us to get to Xi'an Ranma?" Akane asked.  
  
"I don't know," Ranma said. "We've probably got about another five or six hours of straight walking ahead of us before we reach it."  
  
Akane shivered as another blast of wind blew over the group. Akane rubbed her arms from beneath the sweater she was wearing. She was wearing a skirt that looked like Akari's but Japanese made.  
  
Ranma noticed her shivering and looked at her concernedly.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You don't look very warm in that skirt."  
  
"I'm fine; I just wish I had brought a pair of pants instead of this skirt."  
  
"Yeah well, I'm sure it won't get much colder than this," Ranma said. But as he said it, the first trickle of snow began to fall. Akane looked over at Ranma and he gave her a sympathetic look. He was wearing his normal Chinese shirt and pants. But the difference was Ranma was used to walking in most types of weather.  
  
Ryoga's head perked up when he heard the low rumble of a car. In the distance he spotted a military transport truck coming down the dirt path.  
  
"Maybe they can give us a ride?" Ranma said as he stood at the side of the road.  
  
They waited until the truck was pretty close and when it showed no signs of stopping, Ryoga went and stood in the center of the road, his hand raised, like a traffic cop. The truck came to a stop and a man in the driver's seat pocked his head out the window.  
  
He yelled something in Chinese and then made the distinctive gesture for Ryoga to move.  
  
"We were sort of hoping that you could give us a ride," Ranma said to the driver. The driver turned and looked at Ranma for a second before spitting at his face.  
  
Ranma dodged the spit but it hit Akari.  
  
Ryoga saw this and stormed up to the driver's side door and yanked it open, grabbed the driver and threw him to the ground. The driver began to yell at him again and Ryoga glared down at him, silencing the man.  
  
"Now you are going to drive us to Xi'an," Ryoga said, picking the man up by his collar. "And if you don't, I'm going to show you why you never spit on people!"  
  
The driver was now looking at Ryoga with terrified eyes. He couldn't understand Japanese but he got the message. He bowed to Ryoga and quickly got back inside the truck and motioned for the others to get into the back. They complied and moved into the back, the truck rumbled and started down the path.  
  
The back of the truck was filled with what looked like military rations. Ryoga sat down on one of the boxes and inspected Akari's skirt. He wiped the spittle off with a bandanna. Akari smiled at him and then came and sat down on his lap and rested her head on his chest.  
  
Ranma sat beside Akane and he gently whispered.  
  
"Have you noticed anything different about those two?" he asked, indicating Ryoga and Akari.  
  
"No," Akane said, obviously surprised by the question.  
  
"Didn't you notice the way Akari was walking? It looked like she had injured her groin or something."  
  
Akane glanced over at Akari and Ryoga and saw the way Ryoga had his arms around Akari. She noticed that Ryoga wasn't blushing, which he usually did when he had any kind of physical contact with any female other than Ranma's cursed side. She turned back to Ranma, surprise on her face.  
  
"I think I know what happened," Akane said. "Ryoga and Akari had sex."  
  
Ranma's eyebrows rose in surprise and he looked over at Akari and Ryoga.  
  
"Jeez, I think your right," Ranma said. "That would explain why Akari was walking like that."  
  
Akane nodded and looked back at the other couple. She smiled. "Aren't they cute Ranma?"  
  
"Yeah, I always did think that those two belonged together. They make a real good couple."  
  
Akane smile and she took Ranma's hand in hers.  
  
"So when are we going to consummate our relationship?" Akane asked with a grin.  
  
"Well, despite what Ryoga did, I think it would be best if we waited tell were back in Japan. I would feel weird doing it in this messed up country."  
  
"Yeah, but then we'd need to find a place where we wouldn't have to worry about our families busting in, or having any crazy fiancées attack. That would just spoil the mood," Akane said laughing. She looked out the back of the truck and saw that the snow was now falling at a steady rate. She smiled contently and leaned her head over and rested it on Ranma's shoulder.  
  
===============  
  
Ono Tofu walked quickly to the front door of the Tendo home. He opened the door and saw a young man, perhaps in his late twenties, standing there.  
  
"Hello," Tofu greeted. He smiled politely at the man, but it was a little strained. The past two days had been rather nerve-rattling. He had just come from the hospital and found out that Genma would be in there for another day or so. The police had been here for round the clock checks. He wondered how this man got past them.  
  
"Hello," the young man greeted. "My name's Ishii, I'm an acquaintance of Ranma and Ryoga."  
  
"Oh," Tofu said, motioning for the man to come inside. "Does that mean that you know where Ranma and the others are, we haven't heard form them in over a week."  
  
"I think it would be best if I talked to everyone, that way I won't have to repeat myself."  
  
Tofu led the man into the dining room where Soun, Happosai, and Cologne were sitting. He left and brought Kasumi and Nodoka in from the kitchen.  
  
"My name is Ishii; I have come to know Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki from their involvement with Seiji Inafune. I was hoping that I could talk to you all about what exactly has happened since they traveled to China."  
  
Tofu glanced over at Nodoka. She was still under the effects of the tranquilizers that he had given her after Genma was taken to the hospital.  
  
"Please do," Soun said, his voice tight, obviously trying to remain calm.  
  
"We were in Beijing when the Chinese military caught wind of our presence and tried to arrest us. We escaped with the help of an American, and we made our way to Xining. Once there we were taken into custody by some select members of the Yakuza and the Chinese black market. We escaped again, but we did not run, Ranma Saotome saved us."  
  
Soun beamed at the news and Tofu smiled.  
  
"What did he do, beat them up?" Kasumi asked.  
  
Ishii looked a little uncomfortable. "Actually Ranma killed our captives."  
  
There was the collective sound of breaths being taken in. Nodoka smiled almost drunkenly at Ishii.  
  
"Are you saying my son killed someone?"  
  
Ishii looked even more uncomfortable. He hadn't expected to see Ranma's mother.  
  
"Yes, I apologize that I must bring this news to you."  
  
"Well that's alright, you see, right at the moment, my husband is in the hospital with gunshot wounds because the Yakuza broke in here last night and tried to kill us."  
  
"Jesus!" Ishii blurted. "What happened?"  
  
Tofu spoke up before Nodoka could.  
  
"Luckily we were able to stave off their attack and the others were able to stop them."  
  
Ishii breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, I was worried for a moment, you see, the Yakuza can be most ruthless when they are set on a course of action."  
  
"Yes, at the Kuno house, the young man there killed fifteen of the Yakuza members before he finally collapsed. And he even was able to dismember over thirty of them," Nodoka said.  
  
Ishii looked around the room and saw from everyone's grave expressions that Ranma's mother was telling the truth. He decided that getting back to his story would be best.  
  
"Anyway, after that we went to Jusenkyo, where they had hoped to receive cures for their curses. But when we arrived the guide was not there and then some more Yakuza members showed up. The Yakuza members brought some PLA soldiers with them and they were heavily armed. We had brought our own weapons but me, Seiji, and two others were forced to stay while Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, and Akari ran. They escaped from the soldiers and at the moment they should be on their way back to Japan. During the firefight Seiji was wounded and we were forced to leave him behind where he could tie up the enemy. Unfortunately he did not survive."  
  
Ishii fought back the pain that came from saying those words. He bit into his inner cheek to keep from sobbing.  
  
The room was quiet. No one could really think of something to say, but again Nodoka solved their problem.  
  
"So my son did not receive a cure?" Nodoka asked.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not, but the enemy forces were too intense for him to risk anything."  
  
Nodoka smiled at Ishii. "I'm sorry, I know I'm talking too much, but the nice doctor here gave me some pills that he said would keep me from overreacting once I received the news that my husband was still in the hospital, and I was not allowed to see him."  
  
Ishii could not think of anything to say after that, and he began to think that he should have waited for Phillip and Kimura before coming to see these people.  
  
The phone rang, startling everyone. Kasumi got up and quickly answered it. She turned around and looked at Ishii.  
  
"It's for you," she said and held the receiver out to him.  
  
Ishii got to his feet and grabbed the phone from Kasumi, thanking her as he did so.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
*Ishii?*  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
*Yeah, were at the Tokyo International airport right now and I'm sort of low on cash and were all very tired. Do you think that you can pick us up?*  
  
"Yeah, I'll be right there," Ishii said and then hung up. He turned back to the others. "That was Ranma. He and the others are at the airport, they need me to come pick them up."  
  
Tofu was on his feet in an instance. "I'll come with you."  
  
Happosai and Cologne remained silent and so did Soun. Kasumi stood and helped Nodoka to her feet.  
  
"We'll go make some supper," Kasumi announced.  
  
Tofu smiled and was out the door with Ishii. They encountered a police officer once they left the gate.  
  
"Were just going down to the airport officer," Ishii told him. The officer smiled and let them pass.  
  
Tofu opted to drive. They got inside Ishii's black sedan and drove down the street.  
  
"So, you were close to Seiji Inafune?" Tofu asked. He saw the pain flash across Ishii's face and knew he had guessed right.  
  
"You might say that," Ishii said slowly, making sure his words came out even.  
  
"It's always hard to lose your father," Tofu said softly. Ishii looked at him in surprise.  
  
"You knew?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry about what happened to him, from what I could tell, Seiji was an amazing man."  
  
"Thank you," Ishii said, gratefully. Then emotion took over, he started to cry. "Shit!" He said, disgusted with himself.  
  
"It's alright, I myself lost my father. Does your mother know?" Tofu asked gently.  
  
Ishii snorted. "My mother died when I was two years old, my father was out of the country and they placed me in an orphanage."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay; I guess I just miss the old bastard. We were together for about twenty straight years, never apart. Then he got involved in all that Yakuza shit and he made me leave. But I found out and joined up. He was so pissed," Ishii laughed. "The first thing he said to me after I told him was, 'Boy, when we get home I swear to god I'm going to plant my foot straight up your ass."  
  
Tofu and Ishii laughed. Then Ishii grew serious.  
  
"He was betrayed by men that had sworn their loyalty to him, and I will get revenge," Ishii said, dead serious.  
  
Tofu looked over at him. "It is not wise to hold onto your anger; if you do you will end up destroying yourself."  
  
Ishii looked at Tofu with anger and snorted. "If you think I will let my father's death pass without a word, you are a fool. I will kill the Oyabun himself."  
  
"I don't expect you to give up your anger just like that, but what I do expect is for you to not go out and try and kill these men all by yourself. You should use your knowledge to help the police arrest these men and then there will be justice."  
  
"Maybe, but I am going to kill the Oyabun myself," Ishii said.  
  
Tofu could tell that there was something else that was fueling Ishii's anger towards the Oyabun. But he decided to leave him alone for now.  
  
When they reached the airport, Ranma and the others were standing outside at the pickup drop-off point. When they parked the four teenagers jumped into the back and told Tofu to go.  
  
"What's wrong?" Tofu asked.  
  
"I think the security personal is onto us," Ryoga said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ishii asked.  
  
"We didn't have our passports on us and I distracted the customs agent by flashing him and running," Ranma said.  
  
"How did you get out of China?"  
  
Akane started giggling and so did Akari. Ryoga looked at them confused. Ranma started laughing.  
  
"Well, you might say we had to fight our way into the country," Ranma said chuckling.  
  
Ishii looked at him and made a 'come on' gesture.  
  
"After Ryoga manhandled some soldier that didn't want to give us a ride to the airport, we were turned away at the airport because we didn't have any identification. So Ryoga here came up with an idea, we snuck into the airport and stole four stewardess flight suits and quickly went to change into them. But Ryoga grabbed all female uniforms so me and him had to go in our cursed forms."  
  
"They had pig stewardess uniforms?" Tofu asked confused. He pulled into the downtown sector and set the car along the curb.  
  
"Oh, that's right, you guys don't know about Ryoga," Ranma said. He turned to Ryoga. "There are now two victims of the Akanenichuan."  
  
Ryoga blushed while Tofu and Ishii looked surprised.  
  
"So anyway," Ranma said getting back to his story. "When we went onto the flight we had to serve people. We didn't know a single thing about stewardesses so we ended up trying to make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible. But then Ryoga here said he wanted a drink, and when he got up, a passing stewardess spilt coffee on him. He changed back to his original form and let's just say that the uniform didn't fit him anymore. He tore it in several places and then someone dropped their drink on him and he changed back to Akane. The places where he had torn it now showed off a bit of chest and Ryoga went off to find some hot water. He didn't get very far when some guy pushing a food cart down the aisle forced him to stop. When Ryoga asked him to move the guy replied, 'Don't worry, I'm almost done and then we can each go to the bathroom.' Oops, wrong thing to say and Ryoga grabbed the guy by his collar and shoved him into the cart and booted it all the way down aisle and into the cockpit doors. The pilots, thinking someone wanted something, opened the door and saw Ryoga without a properly covering shirt and he feinted, the copilot freaked and nearly lost control."  
  
Ryoga was blushing by the end of Ranma's story, and Ranma was having trouble from trying to keep from laughing. Akari and Akane were giggling and Tofu and Ishii had started to chuckle.  
  
"I didn't mean to knock that jerk into the cockpit door," Ryoga said, trying to defend himself. That resulted in more laughter.  
  
"Alright, I'll take us back to the Dojo now, I think Ryoga's suffered enough," Tofu said as he pulled back into traffic and started his way home.  
  
===============  
  
"Is this your first time visiting Langley, Mr. Kimura?"  
  
Kimura was surprised at the man's Japanese; it was a finely polished as the other American he had been traveling with before.  
  
"Yes," Kimura said quietly.  
  
He had been approached by two very burly airport personnel once he got off the flight from China. They had taken him and put him onto a flight destined for Washington D.C. Once he arrived there, he was met by an old black man wearing what looked to be a L.L. Bean shirt. The man said he was an associate of Phil Parker. He was driven to a building that looked nice from the outside, but when he got inside (and saw the symbol of the CIA) he noticed how bland the interior looked.  
  
General Parker had made arrangements with the departments to make sure that no field operative was in the hallways. It would not be wise to let the foreigner see a face that he might remember later.  
  
"Let's go up to my office, we can talk in there."  
  
Kimura realized that the kind old man was not an associate, he was somebody important. Not every desk jockey would get a protective detail and have entry to the seventh floor of CIA headquarters. (Author's Note: The seventh floor of the CIA is generally thought of as the place where all the decisions are made. Many a number of jokes inside CIA are focused on this floor.)  
  
Once they were inside, the kind the man offered Kimura a drink. He made a glass of bourbon for himself and then made Kimura a scotch with no ice.  
  
"My son tells me that you have information regarding an attack planned by the PRC on Taiwan. Is this true?"  
  
"Yes," Kimura said slowly. He was now beginning to understand what this was all about. The American that had helped him get back to Japan had given told him that he was going back to America and that Kimura should expect a call anytime soon.  
  
"I was wondering where you may have acquired the document from."  
  
"I received it from a man that had sources inside the Chinese Politburo. He's dead now but I still have the document if you'd like to read it."  
  
The man's eyes lit up and he smiled warmly at Kimura. He handed the document to him.  
  
Parker scanned the paper, reading it very thoroughly. His eyebrows rose up twice while reading it, signifying something that surprised him. His eyes moved back to Kimura.  
  
"You are certain that this document is real?" Parker asked.  
  
"Should be, but I can always check," Kimura said. He saw the confused look on the man's face and continued. "The Yakuza don't know what happened in China yet; I can call them and ask for confirmation."  
  
The man pointed to the phone sitting on his desk.  
  
"Can you call now?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm not sure what the time over in Japan would be."  
  
Parker picked up the receiver and spoke into it and asked for the outside line. He handed the phone to Kimura.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
Kimura dialed the number from memory and waited as the call was directed overseas.  
  
*Yes?* Came the grumbled reply.  
  
"This is Kimura; I need to speak with the Oyabun at once."  
  
*Right away sir.*  
  
There followed a few moments before another voice came over the line.  
  
*Ah Kimura, I trust everything has been going alright over in China?*  
  
"Yes, but I do need some confirmation."  
  
*About what?*  
  
"Why was I given a report telling me about the Chinese plans to attack Taiwan?"  
  
*Because we are involved in it.*  
  
"How?"  
  
*The Chinese have contacted us and asked us for our assistance in the elimination of the Taiwanese president. We are scheduled to carry out with the operation in about one and a half weeks time.*  
  
Kimura felt his blood run cold.  
  
"Where are we doing it? Koga never told me what the details were."  
  
*Were supposed to carry it out when Lee is moving to his airplane which he is to take to America. Were going to ambush him on the street and blow up his car and the car that carries his protective detail.*  
  
General Parker thanked whatever person had equipped his phone with an auto-recorder.  
  
"Thank you Oyabun, I will get back to you later," Kimura said as he set the receiver into its cradle. He let out the breath that he had been holding.  
  
"My god, he was telling the truth."  
  
"Yes," Parker said. "But before we do anything, we need to go see the DCI. Then we'll probably go see the President."  
  
"The President?" Kimura asked, shocked.  
  
"Don't worry; I'm sure they're going to be on their knees thanking you after they hear this conversation."  
  
Kimura smiled a little uneasily. For his first trip to America, it was certainly an interesting one.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Now, during my service in India, my wife made the pointed remark that I had gone through Ranger Training. It's true that I graduated from the John Wayne School for Boys, but I do not agree with the Ranger Philosophy, "Complete the mission with complete disregard for casualties. The United States of America spends millions training these men to be the best and it shouldn't have to train a bunch more people just because the others don't care about casualties.  
  
I find myself leaning towards the Green Beret type of personality. That includes completing the mission while preserving yourself and your men. This is a much better way to fight a battle, and it makes for excellent morale amongst the troops.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story, and I hope everyone has been writing reviews. 


	24. Debt of Honor Chapter 3 Revenge

Debt of Honor Chapter 3 Revenge  
  
Kimura smiled demurely at the man sitting behind the large oak desk. He looked around the room and again thought that it seemed a lot smaller than he thought it would be.  
  
The room was often referred to as the oval office, an office that was circular in shape and housed the most powerful man in the world. What surprised people the most about the oval office when they saw it for the first time was its size, it was no bigger than an office for a middle- management type executive.  
  
The President of the United States quickly read the document put before him. He looked up at the three men from the CIA and Kimura.  
  
"You are positive that this is real?" He asked them. He received nodded heads in return. The President let out a breath and sank back into his chair. "And what should we do about it?"  
  
"Mr. President," the DCI (Director of Central Intelligence) started. "I believe that it would be best for you to listen to the taped recording as well."  
  
The DO sat the tape recorder on the desk and hit play. The conversation lasted only a few minutes, but it was enough for the President to be worked into a fury.  
  
"Those sonsofbitches!" He yelled furiously, surprising the men in the room. When he spoke next, his voice was tight, with barely concealed fury. "I'm going to have a call put through to the Chinese Premier."  
  
The DO, Phillip Parker III, spoke up. "Sir, I believe it would be best if you didn't do that." The President looked at him with impatience. "I mean, the Chinese are going to outright deny this anyway, and if you were to call now, it may increase the speed with which their doing things. Right now, we have a very limited amount of time to think this through, and if the Chinese were to speed their operation up, than we may be powerless to stop them."  
  
The President looked at him with anger for a moment, but then his features softened.  
  
"You may be right, but I am not going to sit by and watch as they blow President Lee away. The United States may have a 'One China' policy, but that doesn't mean we don't support the democracy part of it. We've still got the Taiwanese Relations Act of 1979. If Taiwan is attacked, we can state that such a thing represents a threat to peace in the Western Pacific area. If the situation arises, I will declare all relations with the People's Republic put on hold."  
  
"I believe," Earl Murray, the DI, began, "that it would be best if we just warned President Lee of this, and then offer to put United States forces in between the two countries and help create a peaceful atmosphere."  
  
The President looked thoughtful for a moment and then smiled. "You always were good at coming up with a peaceful solution Earl."  
  
"Thank you Mr. President."  
  
The President turned and regarded the DCI. "Do you believe that the presence of American ships would keep the Chinese at bay?"  
  
"I would believe that it would give them pause sir, but I'm not entirely sure that it would stop them," the DCI answered. "I'm not too sure what sort of American ships we have that are close enough to the two China's to stop the assassination."  
  
"Well, that's something we can always find out," the President said. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Get me the pentagon." There was silence for a few moments. "Hello Chuck, I was wondering if you happened to know just what sort of forces we have that we can put between Taiwan and China." There was a slight pause. "Ok, thanks Chuck."  
  
The President set the phone back into its cradle. "We've got the aircraft carrier Nimitz and it's support ships, and the carrier Independence and its support ships low in the Pacific. They could be moved to the Asian countries in as little as a week."  
  
Parker thought that over. "That would leave us with about three days before the assassination is to be carried out. Do you think that if Lee allows us to put some American protection on him, that we could put a small Special Forces unit on the ship to be dropped off on Taiwan?"  
  
"Yes," the President nodded. "But I will have to get the Secretary of the Army's approval before such actions, as well as President Lee's."  
  
The DCI nodded his head towards Kimura. "What about him? Are you sure we can let him go off on his own?"  
  
"No," the President shook his head. "But Phillip has said that he will put a protective detail around him, and to ensure he doesn't try and run off."  
  
Kimura looked a little pale and he used considerable effort to keep his body upright.  
  
"If you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to place a few calls," the President said, ending the meeting.  
  
===============  
  
The carrier Independence was situated on the equator. Temperatures were reaching one hundred degrees and showed no signs of dropping. The sailors and officers aboard were making use of the ship's enormous deck size to do some activities that they had been forced to put on hold as they moved south from the coastal waters of northern Russia. There was a game of football and soccer being played. The deck was large, about two hundred yards. Any sailor that knocked or threw the ball over the edge was forced into what is normally referred to as a sailor shower. The sailor is thrown off the edge of the ship and into the waters below, where he is forced to retrieve the previously lost ball.  
  
Aircraft carriers are routinely forward deployed around the world, engaging in joint (U.S. Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force) and combined (with other allied nations) exercises. These exercises hone our own combat skills as well as providing valuable experience in operating with other forces. While deployed, aircraft carriers operate in international waters providing a reassuring presence to our allies and a warning to potential enemies. This presence can be quickly increased or withdrawn as the situation dictates. Should the situation require it, the aircraft carrier and air wing team are ready on arrival to accomplish whatever mission is given, from unobtrusive surveillance to devastating strikes and anything in between. Although aircraft carriers are routinely deployed near traditional areas of potential conflict, the aircraft carrier can move quickly to another area of the world should a crisis erupt, and be ready to operate immediately.  
  
At the moment, the world was in a sense of peace, so the sailors aboard could relax and enjoy the weather. That did not mean the ships were unprotected, most aircraft carriers can house thousands of Navy personnel.  
  
The Admiral of Independence was Geoff Lowell, a career sailor. He was already past sixty, but in good physical shape. He was broad shouldered, although they were beginning to show signs of muscle contraction. He had a handsome face, and there was an indication of growing jowls around his mouth.  
  
Admiral Lowell had first joined the Navy during World War II and had never left. He was a career navy man, and was beginning to accept that Admiral was as far as he would be able to go in his career.  
  
He frowned; he was inside his mess and was staring at some of the maps that adorned the walls. Independence was supposed to be heading towards the Atlantic. At the moment they were on the wrong side of South America and it would take at least a week to arrive at the prearranged location.  
  
The frown was still on his face when his executive officer came into his quarters.  
  
"We've got a message coming in Admiral."  
  
Geoff got to his feet and followed his XO. Independence was a large ship, and it took them twelve minutes to reach the bridge.  
  
"Any idea where this message is coming from Porter?" Admiral Lowell asked.  
  
"No sir," the XO replied. "It's likely to be coming from the States considering how long it is."  
  
Geoff grabbed the intercept and read it.  
  
1350 hours, 17 October. Independence is ordered to move from current location to the north Pacific at earliest possible time. Will be joined by Nimitz at later date, more orders will follow. VOP.  
  
"What the hell is VOP?" the Xo asked.  
  
"It means 'Verbal Order of the President'," Geoff answered automatically. He smiled to himself. The last time his orders had been changed was when they were ordered to go to the Gulf, and that had been because some crazy Iraqi leader had decided to invade Kuwait. Something must be happening over in Asia.  
  
"Do you have any idea what this is about Admiral?" the radioman asked.  
  
"No, but I guess the troops are going to have to forget about their leave time in Peru."  
  
Admiral Lowell turned to his XO.  
  
"Have a message prepared to be sent," he ordered. "Message received, and acknowledged. Will begin execution of orders at present time, and requires specific location from which we will dock."  
  
Lowell thanked his XO and the radioman, and returned to his quarters. He sat on his bunk and a smile lit his face. The commander of Nimitz was an old friend of his. The United States never sent two aircraft carriers at the same location unless the situation demanded it, and that meant that they would at least be seeing some combat in one form or another.  
  
He went to his cabinet and removed his khaki trunks. He took out his Navy blues and laid them on the bed. Maybe he would see a little more action before he was forced to retire.  
  
===============  
  
"So what was your impression of the President?" Phillip Sheridan Parker IV asked.  
  
Phillip was a regular army soldier. He had attended Norwich, not West Point, so he was acquainted with armor, not infantry. He had earned his majority during the Gulf War, when he commanded a battalion in Task Force Bengal with the Saudi's. He had been twenty-seven when he got his leaf. Five years later he was sure that he was on the five-percent list for lieutenant colonel.  
  
At the moment Phil was sitting inside his father's living room. Being a retired General and a high ranking person in the CIA allowed you to have a few benefits. But Phil's father seemed to disregard that fact.  
  
His father's house was quite small, and having two extra people in the house was nearly unbearable. After Kimura's impromptu meeting with the President of the United States, Kimura had been turned over to Phil for the immediate future. Phil was still on leave from the army, but he knew that he would have been called back for duty if it weren't for his present duty to watch Kimura.  
  
"Quite scary, I wasn't sure if I was either going to faint or piss my pants," Kimura answered.  
  
Phillip laughed. "Well, I wouldn't have expected that sort of reaction. So what do you want to do now, most people would want to go see the Washington Monument."  
  
"Actually, what I would like to do is go back to Japan," Kimura said.  
  
"You know we can't do that," Phil said sternly. "If we went back to Japan we would have the Yakuza and the Chinese breathing down our necks."  
  
Kimura didn't reply, he just looked down at the ground.  
  
"Why do you want to go back to Japan anyway?"  
  
Kimura spoke so softly that Phil almost didn't hear him.  
  
"I have to."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? The only thing that would come from you going to Japan would be your death and probably a hell of a lot of Yakuza."  
  
"I must return," Kimura said with desperation in his voice. Then everything spilled out, everything that had happened with the Oyabun and his daughter.  
  
"If I don't return he may kill her."  
  
"Jesus! Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier?" Parker asked furious.  
  
Kimura looked at him in surprise when Phillip got to his feet.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Parker ignored him and walked to a nearby phone. He picked up the receiver and dialed a number.  
  
"I want to know when the next flight to Tokyo leaves," Parker said.  
  
Kimura got out of the chair. "Are you serious Phillip?"  
  
"1700 hours? Thank you," he said and hung up. "Get your coat, were leaving."  
  
Kimura nodded dumbly and grabbed his coat. He didn't have any idea what he would do once he got there, but Phillip seemed to know.  
  
Phil grabbed a pad and wrote a quick note down. He ripped the paper from the pad and put the note on the table and grabbed his coat. He turned to Kimura.  
  
"I may be a stupid regular army major, but I do know when to let my instincts take over, and right now my guts telling me that going to Japan is the right thing to do, and screw everyone else. Not many people may understand why I do the things I do, and I can take that. But what I can't take is a person criticizing me when I do something that ends up working out. So if you think I'm planning on going to Japan and not putting this Yakuza shit in jail, than your wrong."  
  
Kimura didn't reply because he was having trouble fighting the tears that threatened to escape his eyes.  
  
===============  
  
"The assassination will be carried out in one week. I have received word from Japan that the team is on their way to Taiwan," Zhisheng told the assembled group of men. No one replied. "I have also consulted with Wei Liang and he has told me that the PLA has its forces ready to invade Taiwan and take Taipei on a moments notice."  
  
Zhisheng took note of Jingshu's uneasiness. "What is wrong Jingshu?"  
  
Jingshu got unsteadily to his feet. "Comrades, as you know, I am the Transportation Minister and am also in charge of the Treasury. Yesterday on my annual report I received some very troubling news. The report I received described in detail how our economy's faulting. If the report I received is to be believed, then we are out of money."  
  
"What!?" Liang scoffed. "How can a country be out of money?"  
  
"By dwindling there funds into their military and nothing else," Jingshu said to Wei. He turned to the others. "Comrades, all of our revenue is gone. The harvest was poor and unemployment is up. The Americans are finding ways to get out of contracts and the rest of the world seems to be moving their business to Taiwan."  
  
"Who gave you this report?" Renyang asked.  
  
"It was given to me by my staff," Jingshu answered sharply. "And I will not have anyone in this room try and take their anger out on them. We have put ourselves into this hole because of poor management. Sixty-five percent of our revenue from last year went into the army. No country in the world can do this for very long without finally coming to the point where they have used up their funds, and we have been doing it for decades."  
  
When Renyang spoke, his voice was tight and his eyes burned with fury.  
  
"Jingshu, you will consider yourself relieved from your position. Get out."  
  
Jingshu reared back as if struck and then collected his papers and left the room in a stunned state.  
  
Renyang turned back to the group. "I want this operation against Taiwan to be completed and damn the consequences. If it fails, then I will put the entire army onto Taiwan's shores."  
  
There was no reply from any of the Politburo members.  
  
"Meeting adjourned," Renyang said and left the room.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma watched as his father staggered into the room. He felt a wave of relief flash through him.  
  
"Jeez pop, I would think you'd have learned to duck by now," Ranma said conversationally.  
  
"Watch your tongue boy!" Genma said sharply. "Or am I going to have to teach you a lesson."  
  
"I'd like to see you teach me a lesson when you're on those crutches pop," Ranma said and laughed when Genma swung at him.  
  
"Ranma," Nodoka said, gently but firmly, "stop teasing your father."  
  
The exchange went unnoticed by Akane, who was watching Akari and Ryoga. She had been hoping to talk to Akari alone but ever since they had gotten to the house, she had never left Ryoga's side. Akane was going to run out of chances for the night since everyone else was coming over for a party. Before she could get the chance, Ishii asked if he could talk to the four returnees for a moment.  
  
Ishii led them down the hall and into the guestroom. He motioned for them to sit down but neglected to do so himself.  
  
"I wanted to be the one to tell you guys before any of the others could say anything."  
  
"What is it?" Ryoga asked, a little fear creeping into his voice.  
  
"After you guys took off through the woods at Jusenkyo, Phillip went and grabbed Seiji and brought him into the guide's hut. Seiji was very badly injured and there wasn't anything we could do and he wouldn't have survived the trip through the woods," Ishii said.  
  
Akari grabbed Ryoga's hand and Akane did the same with Ranma.  
  
"Seiji told me and Phillip to leave him behind. He knew that if we took him that he would slow us down. Phillip stayed and talked to him after me and Kimura went out of the window. Phillip had given him his grenade and then followed us. After we went about twenty yards, we heard the grenade go off. Seiji had killed himself and the other soldiers so we could get ourselves out of there," Ishii's voice broke and tears started in his eyes.  
  
Akari started crying and Ryoga pulled her to his chest. Ranma did the same with Akane.  
  
Ishii rubbed furiously at his eyes as his tears flowed. He sank down to his knees and let out a sob.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other and a look of sadness was mirrored on their faces.  
  
"He told Phillip that that was the way he wanted to go out, taking as many of those godless bastards with him."  
  
Akari struggled from Ryoga's grasp and crawled over to Ishii and hugged him.  
  
"Is Phillip at least okay?" Akari asked as a sob escaped her throat.  
  
Ishii nodded and returned Akari's hug. "He went to go tell his father about what happened to my father."  
  
"Father?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
Akane sat up and looked at Ishii. "Did you just say father Ishii?"  
  
Ishii looked a little uncomfortable and removed his arms from around Akari.  
  
"Yes, I apologize for not telling any of you about it, but Seiji and I decided that it would be best if you didn't know."  
  
Akane joined Akari in hugging Ishii.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other. Ranma shrugged and Ryoga nodded. They got to their feet and lifted Ishii, Akane and Akari to their feet and joined in the group hug.  
  
Once they had parted Ishii looked at everyone.  
  
"I know that Seiji really liked all of you, and that he would want you to be happy. That is why I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you four live in peace. It's what Seiji would have wanted."  
  
Ranma left the room and returned quickly with one of the sake bottles and some glasses from the party that was being set up. He handed out the glasses and then filled them with the sake. He raised his glass for a toast.  
  
"To Seiji Inafune," he began, "He may have been a little strange, but he was one hell of a man!"  
  
And that was something they could all drink to.  
  
===============  
  
Kimura watched with utter disbelief on his face when Phillip came around into the airport pick-up and drop-off zone at the wheels of a jeep. Phil was wearing a big grin and motioned for Kimura to hop in.  
  
"Where the hell did you find this?" Kimura asked as Phillip pulled away from the airport.  
  
"You'd be surprised how quickly and efficiently people will get things that you want when you have somehow come into possession of a top CIA employee's passport."  
  
Kimura looked at him, surprised. "You stole your father's passport?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"The way I look at it is, I'm merely using a bit of my daddy's political power. After all, I'm a soldier, I deserve to have a chance to reap the benefits of being close to the politicians who send us grunts out to get killed," Parker said, then laughed. "Ah hell, I think I'm turning into some kind of politician myself. I didn't believe one goddamned word of what I just said."  
  
Kimura laughed too, but it was to hide his discomfort. He was riding back into the valley of death, straight back into the organization that he had fought so hard to escape from. And he was going alone.  
  
===============  
  
The jeep stopped outside the Tendo Dojo. Kimura looked over at Phillip with confusion.  
  
"What are we doing here?"  
  
"Do you remember those Japanese teenagers that were with me in China?" Phillip asked. Kimura nodded. "Well, this is where they live."  
  
Kimura's eyes widened and he looked through the gate.  
  
Phillip got out of the jeep and walked briskly up to the front door. Kimura had to run to catch up to him.  
  
"Are you sure this is wise? What if they forget that I ended up on their side?"  
  
Phillip laughed. "Listen, if were going to go get your girl back from that piece of shit Yakuza guy, then were going to need Ranma and Ryoga."  
  
A young woman came to the door, dressed in a very decorative kimono.  
  
"Hello, how may I help you?" Kasumi asked in English. The black man was very obviously a foreigner.  
  
"Hi, we were wondering if we may impose on you and if we could see Ranma and Ryoga," Phillip said in Japanese. The girl showed obvious surprise over him speaking Japanese and she smiled.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
She led them through the house into a room where there seemed to be a party going on. Most of the people looked at the two men with hostility and confusion.  
  
Then Ranma recognized them.  
  
"Phil!" he shouted and jumped to his feet and wrapped the large man up in a bear hug. Ryoga was close behind and he quickly got Phillip free from Ranma's arms and hugged the large man himself. Akari and Akane squealed with pleasure and ran to Phil and hugged him.  
  
After the four had gotten in their greetings, Akari recognized Kimura.  
  
"Kimura?"  
  
"Hello," Kimura greeted demurely.  
  
Akari hugged him and smiled.  
  
"I'm so glad that you made it out too!"  
  
Parker observed the room. He bowed to the occupants that were still looking at him and Kimura with confusion.  
  
"Hello, my name is Phillip Sheridan Parker IV, and this is my associate, Isamu Kimura. We were with Ranma and Ryoga in China."  
  
The reception immediately changed as Parker and Kimura were greeted in turn by Ranma and Akane's parents and family and a gentle looking man wearing glasses. Next came two Chinese and a girl that was dressed almost like a boy, and a guy that was dressed up as a girl.  
  
"Did we come in the middle of a party?" Kimura asked.  
  
"Actually, you arrived right when we were finishing off the sake," Ryoga said.  
  
"Well that's okay," Phil said. "I'll just go out and get some more. Would you two mind accompanying me?" he asked Ranma and Ryoga. They nodded and Phil could tell that they were anxious to leave. He turned to Kimura. "Just wait here and I'll be right back."  
  
He turned and walked out of the house with Ranma and Ryoga in tow.  
  
"Phil, we need to talk," Ranma said once they were outside the gate.  
  
Parker smiled at them and waited for Ranma to continue.  
  
"Were a little uneasy about being back in Japan, now that Seiji's gone we've got no protection from the Yakuza. They've already come after our families once, and that's one too many times. We don't want to have to be looking over our shoulders every minute to see if someone is following us."  
  
Phil laughed and earned an angry look from Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"Sorry, I'm not laughing at you. The reason I wanted to talk to you was because I was going to ask you for your help."  
  
"Help with what?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Kimura apparently has a connection with the Oyabun's daughter and I want to help him get her out, and at the same time put that bastard Oyabun down."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other for a moment before replying.  
  
"Okay," they said in unison.  
  
"'Okay'?" Phil mimicked, "that's it?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
Phil grinned. "I always knew you little bastards were soldiers at heart. Seiji would be very proud of you."  
  
That reply made them choke up a little.  
  
"By the way, where's Ishii? I know he wanted to come to your house the minute we landed."  
  
"He said that he needed to go work out some details out of Seiji's will and stuff," Ryoga answered.  
  
"Okay," Phil said. "Just make sure you don't tell him about this, I know he will take the first chance he can get to shoot that chickenshit sonofabitch, and we can't have him doing that."  
  
Ryoga and Ranma nodded their understanding.  
  
"Alright then, let's go get some booze."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma slowly made his way downstairs. His head was pounding and he wasn't sure where each step was and he had to be careful. The party last night had gone into the very early hours of the morning. Finally, around three, everyone had left and after they had Phil and Kimura set up to sleep in the living room, they had gone to bed.  
  
Ryoga had been set up inside Mr. Tendo's room but Ranma was sure he had heard him sneak out during the very early hours of the morning. Ranma didn't blame him, if Mr. Tendo found out about Ryoga's new curse, he would probably go ballistic.  
  
Ranma peeked his head into the guest room and nearly gasped in surprise. Lying on a futon were Ryoga and Akari. Ryoga was stark naked and Ranma was sure Akari was as well. A blanket was covering Akari's more feminine parts. He crept into the room and, making sure he didn't look at Akari, he shook Ryoga awake. Akari had always seemed too pure, almost angelic. Seeing her naked would seemed wrong to Ranma.  
  
Ryoga slowly came to and when he saw Ranma, he blushed.  
  
"This isn't what it looks," he said.  
  
"Yeah sure it isn't," Ranma said. "Get dressed and cover up Akari. Were the only ones awake right now." He left the room.  
  
Ryoga slipped into a pair of pants and sweater and then covered up Akari. He took a moment to gaze at her face and thought, for the hundredth time, that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met.  
  
He joined Ranma outside and then went into the kitchen, where a kettle was set on the stove. He sat down at the small table and looked over at Ranma.  
  
"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Ranma shook his head. "No, I wouldn't do something like that, but Akane already knows."  
  
Ryoga looked at Ranma for a moment than looked away.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Don't mention it man," Ranma said. "But I do want to ask you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Whose decision was it to have sex?"  
  
Ryoga blushed and looked angry for a moment, before remembering that Ranma was being sincere.  
  
"Hers I guess. It happened when we went to that hot spring in China."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Well, don't worry about it man, your going to be married soon so I think no one will care if they found out anyways."  
  
Ryoga looked at Ranma and the relief on his face was evident. "Thank you Ranma."  
  
Ranma was a little uncomfortable with the emotion in Ryoga's voice.  
  
"So, what do you think Phillip has planned?" Ranma asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I don't think we have anything to worry about, Phil's a damn genius when it comes to anything military," Ryoga said.  
  
"Yeah, you got a point there. I don't know about keeping this from Ishii though. The guy has the right to avenge Seiji. Hell, I'm not even sure I'll be able to hold back when I see that bastard."  
  
"Don't let Phil hear you say that, or you'll be sitting here with the girls when we go out to get him."  
  
Ranma nodded his head. He looked at the wall clock. It was nine thirty, the others should have gotten up by now.  
  
The kettle began to whistle as soon as Ranma stood up.  
  
"Could you get that Ryoga? I'm going to go wake everyone else up."  
  
As Ryoga moved to the stove, Phillip came lumbering into the room.  
  
"Jeez, I never expected the sake could take me down so fast," he said. He was clad in only boxer shorts. He saw Ryoga and smiled.  
  
"Hey Ryoga," he greeted.  
  
"Morning Phil," Ryoga said.  
  
Phil grabbed some cups and set them on the table and sat down on one of the chairs.  
  
"So, Akari keep you up late?" he asked conversationally.  
  
Ryoga spun around and stared at Phil, horrified.  
  
Phil waved his hand, as if brushing aside Ryoga's shock.  
  
"Don't worry Ryoga, I'm sure that I was the only one up," Phil said. "I actually expected Ranma and Akane to be the first ones to consummate their relationship."  
  
Ryoga blushed and set the kettle onto the table and sat down in the chair opposite Phil.  
  
"You're not going to tell anyone are you?"  
  
"No, but I do want some details," Phillip said, and then laughed.  
  
Ryoga looked a shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Have you decided on a plan yet?" Ryoga asked, hopefully changing the subject to something safe.  
  
"Yeah, and don't worry, you and Ranma shouldn't be in any danger," Phil said. "Kimura and I are going to be the ones in the middle of the crossfire; you guys will be watching the perimeter. If everything goes according to plan, than it should all be over in about five minutes."  
  
Ryoga nodded but didn't say anything.  
  
"I don't want either of you to tell Akari or Akane about this."  
  
"Why?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Because one of them will tell Ishii about it, and I don't want to have him hating me. I also don't want more people knowing about this. If this gets back to the military, I'm finished."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Think of it like this," Phil started. "If the American military were to find out that a regular army major is helping apprehend a mob boss in Japan, with no orders to do so, they will kick my ass out of the army faster than Ranma throws a punch."  
  
"What does it matter if you are thrown out of the army?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Phil looked at Ryoga as if the question was stupid.  
  
"The army is my life Ryoga," Phil said simply. "All my life the only thing that I've been trained for is the army. If they were to kick me out, my life would have no meaning. I'd likely become a drunk within weeks."  
  
"Than why are you doing this?"  
  
"I have more of a reason going after this bastard than either you or Ranma have," Phil said sharply. "Seiji was my father's best friend, and mine. I owe him a debt of honor to avenge his death by bringing in the leader of the Yakuza. If I were to simply let the man go, than I could never look myself in the mirror."  
  
Ryoga nodded. "I understand Phil, but maybe letting the police handle this is the best thing."  
  
Phillip shook his head. "I don't think so. The Oyabun would just hand them some bribes and be out of jail in a matter of hours. No offence Ryoga, but the Japanese police force is about as useful as their Maritime Defense Force. One American battalion could wipe them out."  
  
Phil took a deep breath. "There are other things involved here Ryoga. The Yakuza are being used as contract killers for the PRC."  
  
Ryoga's eyebrows rose but he didn't say anything.  
  
"I also know that the Chinese are on the verge of invading Taiwan. Now, I'm not sure that the American military would get involved, but if they do, I know damn well that I'm going to be sent into Taiwan. If we eliminate the threat the Oyabun creates, than maybe we can avert a war, and that is one hell of a reason for me to lay my life on the line."  
  
Ryoga didn't know what to say so he just nodded.  
  
"Sorry to lay all this on you Ryoga, but its nice to be able to talk to someone."  
  
Phil took a deep pull on his teacup and got to his feet, Ryoga's eyes were drawn to the long zipper like scar on Phil's thigh.  
  
"Where'd you get that?" Ryoga asked without thinking.  
  
Parker unconsciously ran his hand along the scar.  
  
"Kuwait. I was in on Task Force Bengal and I took some shrapnel when my sixty encountered some counter fire. It was really strange, they say I lost over five pints of blood but I'm sure I never remembered being hit. They gave me a Purple Heart for this. I also got the Distinguished Service Cross for my part in Task Force Bengal. The Secretary of the Army pinned it to me while I was in the hospital. Even Seiji flew down for the ceremony," Phil said.  
  
"Do you ever miss being in combat?" Ryoga asked, again without thinking.  
  
"The hardest thing any man has to do in life is order your comrades into a fight where you know that some of them are going to die. But one of the greatest things a man can do is lead his men into combat," Parker said, his voice deadly serious. "So yeah, I do miss being in command, but I'm certainly not going to hope it happens again."  
  
Ryoga saw the sad look that passed over Phil's face and decided not to reply.  
  
"That's funny," Ranma said coming into the kitchen. "I always thought the hardest thing a man can do is not put his foot into his mouth when talking to a girl."  
  
Phil laughed and Ryoga joined in.  
  
"You are quite right Ranma," Phil said chuckling. "Now let me go clothe my magnificent ebony body and then we can get this day started."  
  
===============  
  
"This just came in Mr. President," the President's press speaker announced as he walked into the Oval Office. He handed the President a small slip of paper and then stood beside the desk as he read it.  
  
"Thanks John, tell Black that he can go ahead and put his Green Berets aboard the ship."  
  
"Right away Mr. President," he said and then left the office. The President's secretary walked in through the open door.  
  
"We have the DO coming in next Mr. President, then the Transportation Minister at three."  
  
"Thank you Joan, send him in."  
  
General Parker walked into the room and shook hands with the President of the United States before sitting down on a chair.  
  
"Thank you for seeing me so soon Mr. President."  
  
"I will always have time to see you Phil," the President replied. "Now, what have you got for me today?"  
  
Parker's face seemed to be a mixture of anger and sadness.  
  
"I'm sorry to have to bring this news to you sir, but it seems my son has taken the young Japanese man back to Japan."  
  
The President's eyebrows rose but he said nothing.  
  
"They left some time yesterday and Phillip wrote me a note but all it said was where they were going."  
  
"And why do you think they went to Japan?"  
  
"I believe they are going to try and get the head of the Yakuza," Parker said with little remorse. "Those damn fools."  
  
"Why do you think that will prove to be such a problem?" the President asked.  
  
"If it gets out that an American Special Forces team member is inside Japan attempting to apprehend a Japanese mob boss than the shit is really going to hit the fan. The Chinese will know that we know and then they will call us on our oath that there is one and only one China."  
  
"That would appear to be a problem. But I'm afraid that it doesn't really matter what young Phil does right now."  
  
"Huh?" Parker said.  
  
The President handed him the small slip of paper he had received just moments before.  
  
Parker read it.  
  
Top Secret  
  
Central Intelligence Agency  
  
Langley, Virginia  
  
From: Director of Central Intelligence  
  
Subject: Chinese and Taiwanese Relations (Memorandum #134)  
  
To: The President of the United States. Room 001. The White House. Washington D.C.  
  
By Courier  
  
In Compliance with the Presidential Memorandum to the Director, Subject: "Chinese and Taiwanese Relations" dated 16 October 1996, the following information is furnished:  
  
(Reliability Scale Four) (From CIA Taipei, Taiwan) Chinese forces mobilizing on border facing Taiwan. Reports indicate that they are within forty miles of Taiwan.  
  
(Reliability Scale Three) (From CIA Beijing, China) Chinese fighters took off from Air Force base last night and were armed. Not white colored training missiles but actual missiles. Headed towards coast.  
  
Howard O' Connor  
  
Top Secret  
  
===============  
  
Kimura watched as the Oyabun's house rolled into view. He got control of his breath and looked over at the driver of the car.  
  
"Stop just out of view. Once I'm allowed in, wait four minutes and then come inside. Don't shoot anyone once you first get in, if something goes wrong, I'll give you the code signal," Kimura said, pointing to the small radio on his lapel.  
  
Phil nodded and then stopped the car; Kimura gave them a smile and then opened the door. He walked down the sidewalk and then turned to go up the walkway leading to the house of the Oyabun, the head of the Yakuza.  
  
Phillip turned around and looked at the other occupants of the car.  
  
"Remember what I said you two. Do not try and enter the house unless you're going to warn me and Kimura about some incoming forces."  
  
He received nods from Ranma and Ryoga and then turned around and looked at the small radio intercept he had in his hand. He could hear Kimura ring the doorbell.  
  
The Oyabun's house was quite grand by Japanese standards. The house was located three miles outside Tokyo. There were literally no signs of life for within two miles.  
  
Parker chambered a round inside his hand gun just as some voices came over the radio.  
  
*Hello?*  
  
*Hi, my names Kimura, I believe the Oyabun is expecting me.*  
  
*Yes, please come inside.*  
  
There followed a few moments of static before some more voices came over the radio.  
  
*Hello Isamu.* A voice, it must have been the Oyabun's, Phillip thought. He seemed to be regarding Kimura with hostility.  
  
*Greetings Oyabun, how are you this evening?*  
  
*Why are you here?*  
  
*Is there something wrong with my being here?*  
  
Oh shit, Phillip thought. That was the danger signal. Something was wrong.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
He jolted the car door open and took off towards the house. He sprinted across the lawn with Ranma and Ryoga on his heels. Phillip charged and kicked the door, smashing it form it's hinges. There were three men standing in the hallway, all holding small handguns.  
  
Phillip reached back to his waistband and came up with his Berretta. He brought the gun around to bear on the three men and fired two small bursts. Two of the men went down and the third was bringing his gun around to face Phillip. He pushed off the wall and rolled, just as the man fired at the doorway. Phil fired two more rounds at the man as he came out of the roll.  
  
He jumped to his feet and this time Ranma and Ryoga took the lead. They turned and ran into what appeared to be a library.  
  
There, standing in the center of the room were Kimura and the Oyabun. There were some more guards but Ranma and Ryoga took them down before they could even chamber a round in their weapons.  
  
Kimura quickly turned to the Oyabun.  
  
"Where is she?" He said.  
  
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," the Oyabun said as he took a step backwards.  
  
"Your daughter you son of a bitch, where the hell is Mariko?!" He shouted.  
  
The Oyabun took one look at the four men and then quickly reached into his jacket pocket.  
  
Parker, seeing this, expected the action meant he was reaching for a gun so he brought his gun up, but another shot rang out before he fired.  
  
The Oyabun went down from a shot to the chest, just as Kimura seemed to have been hit in the side.  
  
Parker saw Ryoga dash across the room and slam a guard through the wall with a bone shattering tackle. The guard had come through an adjoining room.  
  
Phil rushed towards the two fallen men and saw that his shot had hit the Oyabun in the head. The whole back of the man's head was a red mess. There was brain matter on the bookshelf. Phil turned and looked at Kimura. He had been hit around his collar bone. Parker squatted down and checked for a pulse. There was one. He was about to stand back up when he heard noise from the end of the room. He spun around and saw a young woman standing at the doorway with a terrified expression on her face.  
  
The young girl saw the scene and looked like she may pass out, but then she seemed to recognize Kimura.  
  
"Oh my god!" she said, almost a wail. She rushed across the room and stood over Kimura.  
  
"Kimura!" she said and then went down to her knees and put her hand onto his wound.  
  
She turned around and looked at Parker for a moment.  
  
Parker turned and looked at Ranma.  
  
"Get Ryoga out of the wall and go call an ambulance."  
  
He turned back and looked at the young girl.  
  
"Christ lady, I sure as hell hope you're that Mariko girl."  
  
===============  
  
The police were on the scene within minutes. Kimura was loaded into an ambulance with the young woman and was driven to a hospital. Phillip, Ranma, and Ryoga were detained at the scene and were subjected to a police interrogation.  
  
But before the police could ask any of them some questions, the lieutenant on the scene received a call on his squad box. He came back to the three detainees and asked to speak to them alone.  
  
He brought them into the house, which by now had the bodies removed from the inside, and led them to what appeared to be the dining room.  
  
"I know exactly what you three were doing here today, and if I had my way I would make sure that you three faced a judge. But, I just received the call that not only was the men you killed members of the Yakuza, but that one of them was the head Oyabun."  
  
He stared at all three of them before going on.  
  
"I doubt that there would be a court in this world that would not feel obliged to the three men that just killed the man responsible for the countless deaths of innocent civilians. I hope you understand that, and I hope I'm getting the message clear that I don't want to ever see you guys or your friend in the ambulance again."  
  
They nodded and turned to leave when the lieutenant stopped Parker.  
  
"There's just one more thing that the message said. I was told that around four in the afternoon today, the Prime Minister received a call from the President of the United States and he asked that if one Major Phillip Sheridan Parker IV happened to fall into police custody, could he please be sent to the nearest secure phone line and allowed to put a call through to the Prime Ministers office. I'll do that now."  
  
Phillip didn't seem especially surprised over the news and he turned to Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"You guys go on home; I'll be there in a couple of hours."  
  
===============  
  
Phillip arrived back at the Tendo Dojo after four hours of being in police custody. He offered an apology to Mr. Tendo when he was asked to stay for dinner. It was apparent that he had something else on his mind. He asked for a moment of Ranma and Ryoga's time and led them outside the front gate of the Tendo household.  
  
"Is everything alright Phil?" Ranma asked once they had come to a stop.  
  
Phillip looked sadly at the two teenagers and then slowly shook his head.  
  
"I'm to immediately be flown to the carrier Independence, which is now sitting in between Taiwan and China. Once there I will consider myself under arrest and then will be immediately flown back to the States where I will face a general court-martial."  
  
"Oh shit!" Ryoga said.  
  
"Yeah that about covers it," Phillip said sadly. "I checked in on Kimura and he'll be alright. Bullet passed right through him without hitting anything. Oh yeah, the girl at the house was his girl. He was wondering if you might come to see him and to bring Akane and Akari."  
  
Phillip put on a smile that was very evidently forced.  
  
"I'll see you guys later; thank your family in there for me."  
  
He climbed into his jeep and pulled down the street.  
  
===============  
  
"So were heading straight to Independence?" Phillip asked the three uniformed American Navy personnel.  
  
Once he returned to the police station he had been turned over to the custody of the American military. He had been flown to Fukuoka, where he was then placed onto an American EA-6B Prowler.  
  
The Prowler was an aircraft that was included with every aircraft carrier group. The EA-6B is a multi-mission capable platform that couples human interface with a sophisticated electronic warfare package. The Prowler is derived from the two-seater A-6 Intruder attack aircraft. The basic airframe was stretched and strengthened to accommodate a four-seat cockpit. Another distinguishing feature is the pod-shaped fairing at the top of the vertical fin. The heart of the EA-6B is the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System. The Prowler can carry up to five pods (one belly mounted and two on each wing). Each pod is integrally powered and houses two jamming transmitters that cover one of seven frequency bands. The EA-6B can carry any mix of pods, fuel tanks and/or HARM anti-radiation missiles depending on mission requirements.  
  
It was very unusual to have one sent out with the mission to recover one regular army major.  
  
"Yes sir, once there you will be 'detained'," one of the pilots said with a little humility in his voice.  
  
Parker strained his head around to get a look at the pilot and saw that he was being laughed at. He decided that waiting and seeing what kind of reception he got while on Independence before he made any snap judgments about what would really happen to him.  
  
The landing was pure textbook and Phillip was quickly taken to the Admirals quarters. He marched briskly into Admiral Lowell's office and stood in front of his desk.  
  
"Sir, Major Phillip S. Parker reporting as ordered!" he boomed.  
  
Lowell looked up at him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.  
  
"This isn't the army Parker, and even so, you aren't even doing it right."  
  
"Sir?" Parker asked, confused. He had not yet lowered his salute. The admiral returned it and then grabbed a folder from his desk. He handed it to Parker.  
  
"I think after reading that you'll understand what you did wrong," Lowell said as Parker read it.  
  
Parker smiled after reading it and then came back to attention.  
  
"Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Phillip S. Parker reporting as ordered," he said with a huge grin. Lowell grinned back and extended his hand.  
  
"Well Colonel, I hope you understand that under the present circumstances we have yet to get you your silver chicken, but I'm sure they'll fix that when you get back to the States."  
  
Parker's face turned into a saddened expression.  
  
Lowell saw this. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm sure the Admiral knows about my situation," Parker said. Realization had just dawned on him that he wouldn't even be able to stay in the army long enough to have the lieutenant colonel part added to his title.  
  
"Why yes I do. But I don't see why you are so down about it. If this had happened to me I would be buying everyone in the entire fleet a round of beers."  
  
Parker looked at him in confusion. Lowell handed him another folder. Inside there was three sheets stapled together. They read:  
  
Parker murder case. File #4536225  
  
Lieutenant Colonel Parker, Phillip S. is hereby acquitted of the charges of Article 92. Report comes at 1345 of present day.  
  
Colonel Parker was charged with the act of committing gross and irresponsible actions that resulted in the deaths of seven Japanese citizens. He had been subjected to be sent to Fort Rucker where he would stand before a panel of judges and brought to face up to his actions.  
  
Name below authorizes the acquittal of charges to Lieutenant Colonel Parker.  
  
Bill Rodgers.  
  
Commander of Special Warfare School  
  
Brigadier General Designate  
  
Parker is hereby ordered to temporary duty with the Special Warfare School. He will report to the commanding officer by the 27 October.  
  
The following is quoted from Brigadier General Rodgers:  
  
After pulling your ass from the flames once again Phillip my lad, I realized that for once, it would benefit me. I'm assuming that Admiral Lowell will give this to you at the earliest possible time. After that, you're going to be staying on Independence with the Green Berets that will be flown in later in the day. Once they are dropped off you will be assigned to their unit as second in command and sent with them to Taipei. You will then be responsible for setting up a temporary protective detail for the President of Taiwan. More later. Bill.  
  
Officer's signature below officially assigns officer: Phillip S. Parker, to the Special Warfare School.  
  
Bill Rodgers  
  
Parker looked up at Admiral Lowell.  
  
"Jesus, how the hell could he have pulled this off?"  
  
"Through a whole lot of ass-grinding and ass-kissing I'd imagine," Lowell replied.  
  
"Christ, I can't believe he did that," Parker said.  
  
Lowell looked at him for a moment than he reached underneath his desk and retrieved a bottle of scotch.  
  
"I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your promotion. I just hope that you're becoming a lieutenant colonel by age twenty-nine does not go directly to your head."  
  
"Don't worry admiral, I don't have that much room in my head for such thoughts," Parker said. He took the extended glass and raised his it above his head.  
  
"Absent companions," he said and then took a drink.  
  
"Absent companions," Lowell mirrored and then drank.  
  
Parker looked at Lowell and smiled. In a matter of hours his career had gone from being dead in the water, to being promoted and assigned to a new unit.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: When I first released this chapter, it was a few days before the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks on our country. I did not think I could truthfully write it again, so I decided to simply copy it from the original. It reads as follows:  
  
I'm dedicating this story to BullDog, who went to his grave while in Afghanistan, killed in action. Even if you went before your time, I want you to know you'll always remain my mentor and friend.  
  
To Bill, I hope you finally found that meaning in your life. Killed in action in Afghanistan, seven months ago.  
  
I would also like to take this time to offer my condolences to the people that lost loved ones during the September 11 attacks. The losing of someone you love is a great challenge, and not one that you will soon overcome.  
  
To the soldiers that I have served with and fought alongside. You are my brothers and sisters, my eternal family. May you always be the men and women that protect this country.  
  
To the people of America. There are many things that come with living in America, and it is a privilege that many don't fully understand until the freedom that America gives has been taken away. I hope that everyone out there understands just what it means to put on a uniform and swear an oath to protect your country and defend it against all of its enemies. Remember that being a soldier is not the easy job that is displayed to you in movies and television.  
  
To the intelligence community. I want the people out there to realize that without organizations like the CIA, America would be crippled. Do not hold onto the belief that intelligence officers are evil merciless people that pray on the disgruntled and rape other countries. Intelligence on your enemy is something that is incredibly vital to the overall success of a mission. And although the intelligence community is under fire today, I hold the belief that they are still the credible force they have been for the better part of the century.  
  
And finally, to my comrades in arms that have fallen. You have made the ultimate sacrifice for your country. You have traded your life so that others may live. And that, my friends is the noblest act of them all.  
  
Thank you for your time. Please review and if you want, you can offer an opinion about what I have mentioned above. 


	25. Debt of Honor Chapter 4 Beginning of the...

Debt of Honor Chapter 4 Beginning of the End  
  
Ranma looked sadly outside his classroom window. He had told himself that he was way too far behind the rest of the class for him to be daydreaming, but he found his mind wandering constantly.  
  
They had gone to see Kimura in the hospital. He didn't look very good and the girl that sat beside him wasn't very talkative. Ranma had felt a little uncomfortable being there, but he tried to find some comforting words for the man. Akane and Akari were there usual selves and instantly tried to do everything possible to make Mariko feel comfortable with them. It wasn't successful, but they did have her talking at one point.  
  
Ryoga had been his usual stone cold self. The guy had said about two words the whole time. He seemed to be thinking about something, but Ryoga didn't offer Ranma any information and he didn't go searching for it.  
  
He turned his head and gazed at Akane. She was paying rapt attention to the teacher, which was what she usually did. Ranma was stuck with the thought about what he would do if she went away to some college and left him behind. Maybe he should take his father's opinion and marry her before the end of high school. At least that way he would be sure that no guy would hit on her, at least no normal guy would.  
  
His mind drifted to Phillip. He hadn't been gone for more than two days and Ranma was finding himself missing the giant black man. Ranma had never really seen an African-American before, but he wasn't like the most of the other people in Japan, who regarded anyone that was not native to the soil as some evil foreigner bent on destroying their beliefs. Ranma really hoped the man would come back to visit.  
  
Ishii hadn't been by either, and that was strange, Ranma had really begun to regard the man as a friend. Ranma didn't have many friends; and at the moment, Ryoga seemed to be the only man that he knew that just simply hung around because he truthfully like Ranma.  
  
Ranma thought back to the conversation he had had with Ryoga about coming to school. Ryoga had looked at him and then gently but firmly said that he was not the type to go back to school. He would probably get lost and he didn't want to be separated from Akari for a minute. But then Akari had said that she would try and get back to her farm. Ranma realized that he very strongly wanted the two of them to stay in Tokyo. They were a big part of his everyday life now, and he didn't want anything to change.  
  
Ranma sighed and looked up to the front of the class. The teacher was talking again and Ranma tried to keep his mind on the subject being taught. He smiled once he understood what the teacher was talking about. The subject today was Chinese politics. He now knew a lot about that subject.  
  
===============  
  
"Are you sure about this Akari?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"One hundred percent," Akari responded as she finished signing the papers. "I don't think my hearts into this anymore."  
  
Ryoga looked at his soon-to-be wife and frowned. "I just want to make sure your not doing this for my sake."  
  
Akari and Ryoga had not gone to Akari's farm to check up on it. Once they were there, they were met by an investor from the bank of Tokyo. Akari had explained to him that she wanted the farm appraised and to be put up for sale at the soonest opportunity. Akari had told Ryoga that she really didn't want to be a farmer anymore, the city had gotten to her and she wanted to live there. Ryoga had asked her about Katsunishiki, which she had replied, "I love Katsunishiki very much, so much that I understand the best thing to do is give him up to whatever people buy this place, so he can continue his sumo training.  
  
Ryoga didn't want to tell Akari but he was very glad that she had decided to sell the farm. He really didn't want to live his life out in a pig farm. Living in the city with her and in a nice close distance to Ranma and his friends was going to be very nice. Ryoga had never really had that many friends, and now that he did, he was going to do everything in his power to keep them.  
  
He smiled at Akari and thanked the man from the bank and then led her back to the farm. Akari said goodbye to the pigs, and then she gave a teary apology to Katsunishiki. Ryoga than got inside the cab they had waiting for them and drove back into Tokyo and instructed the driver to take them to the Tendo Dojo.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma drummed his fingers on the table as he watched the steady rainfall through the open doors leading into the garden. He was oblivious to the glares he was receiving from the other people at the table.  
  
"Ranma," Nodoka said gently, "is there something on your mind?"  
  
"He's been like this all day aunty," Akane said. Ranma turned to look at her. "It's true," Akane said defensively.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Just have some things on my mind," he said quietly.  
  
The other family members looked at each other and watched as he went back to drumming his fingers.  
  
There came the sound of a car pulling up to the gate out front. Kasumi got up to go check.  
  
"Oh!" Kasumi's voice came from the front door. "Hello Mr. Inafune."  
  
Ranma immediately leapt to his feet and rushed to the door before the others had a chance to blink.  
  
"Ishii!" Ranma shouted and very enthusiastically grabbed the man's shoulders.  
  
"Hello Ranma," Ishii greeted. "It's very nice to see you again."  
  
"Well come on in buddy, were just having supper," Ranma said and led the young man into the dining room.  
  
Ishii greeted the family members and set a large briefcase beside him as he sat down.  
  
"What's that?" Ranma asked as he plopped down next to him.  
  
"The reason for my visit," Kimura said. He laid the briefcase onto the table and clicked off the safety bolts and opened it up. He extracted some papers and handed them to Ranma.  
  
"Where's Ryoga?" Ishii asked.  
  
"Oh, he went over to Akari's farm earlier, they should be back soon," Ranma said as he looked over the first paper. "Hey! This is Seiji's will."  
  
"Yes," Ishii nodded his head. "Seiji had named you and Ryoga his very good friends and left you some things."  
  
"What about you?" Ranma asked absentmindedly as he read through the document.  
  
"Do not worry about me, I am inheriting all of my mother's assets as well as some of my father's," Ishii said. "I am a little curious as to what he left you two though."  
  
"Holy shit!" Ranma shouted. He raised his eyes from the page he was reading and looked at the others. He handed the papers over to Ishii.  
  
Ishii looked at them:  
  
Subject: Seiji Inafune's Will and Testament.  
  
Subject left one, Ranma Saotome, half ownership of restaurant chain throughout Japan and China. Details upon which restaurants to be controlled will be worked out through one, Ryoga Hibiki and Ishii Inafune. Estimated worth, 34, 567, 876 American dollars.  
  
Subject left one, Ranma Saotome, half ownership over investment banking group in America. Seiji, Kimiko, and Porter. Estimated worth, 345, 569, 690 American dollars. Details upon exact definition to be worked out with one, Ryoga Hibiki and Ishii Inafune.  
  
One, Ranma Saotome, will receive items after Subject has passed and passing confirmed by Insurance Company.  
  
Joan Guddenbacker  
  
Ishii smiled and handed the papers over to Nabiki, who was dying of anxiety to see what Ranma had been given.  
  
"Looks like Seiji was prepared for everything," Ishii said.  
  
The papers made their way around the table until they ended up back at Ranma. He mindlessly took the pen Ishii offered him.  
  
Akane looked a little shocked after reading the paper and she grabbed Ranma's free hand for support. He squeezed it in return.  
  
"I don't know if I'll be comfortable taking this Ishii," Ranma said. Genma nearly chocked on his tea but was silenced by Nodoka.  
  
"It's quite alright Ranma; Seiji wanted you to have this. If it wasn't for either of you, he would still be working for the Yakuza."  
  
Ranma nodded at Ishii's words and looked over at Akane. She appeared to be as confused as Ranma but she gave him a calming smile.  
  
Ranma scrawled his signature at the bottom of the page and handed them back to Ishii. He gave Akane's hand another squeeze and let out a breath.  
  
"What does this mean Ishii?" Ranma asked. He didn't have a very large idea about what he had just signed.  
  
Ishii stuffed the papers back inside the briefcase but left Ryoga's lying on the table. He smiled at Ranma before he got to his feet.  
  
"Everything will be all right Ranma. Just get Ryoga to sign those papers and than we will be able to have a nice peaceful dinner, before we take a little trip to the United States."  
  
He bowed to the other family members and left.  
  
Genma moved around the table and grasped his son's shoulder.  
  
"You've made your father a very proud man," he said.  
  
Ranma glared at his father. "Pop, I'm going to tell you this once. I was named as the beneficiary to those things, not you. Ryoga, Ishii, and I are going to figure all this out."  
  
He grabbed Ryoga's papers and got to his feet. He stormed out of the room with Akane right behind him.  
  
===============  
  
They encountered Ryoga and Akari as they arrived at the front gate.  
  
Ryoga was just paying the taxi driver when Ranma and Akane came running up to them.  
  
"We need to have a little chat," Ranma said to Ryoga and led him to the Dojo.  
  
Akari turned and looked at Akane in confusion.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Akane looked at her a little tiredly.  
  
"Ishii came by and he had some papers with him. It seems that Seiji had named Ranma and Ryoga his 'very good friends' and left them some things."  
  
Akari smiled. "How nice. I'm sure whatever he left him, it will be a good help for us."  
  
Akane looked at Akari. Akari smiled.  
  
"I decided to sell the farm. Ryoga and I are going to live in the city," Akari told her proudly.  
  
Akane smiled and gave the girl a hug.  
  
"That's wonderful Akari, now we can go to school together."  
  
Akane decided that it would probably be for the best if Ryoga told Akari about the exact things Seiji had left them.  
  
"Yes, and I'm sure I can convince Ryoga to go to," Akari said.  
  
Akane didn't really know if Ryoga would be up to the idea of going back to school, but she was not about to tell Akari that.  
  
===============  
  
Phillip watched with amusement as the Green Beret team encountered the occupants of the carrier group Independence. The Green Berets were decked out in full gear, including the Green Beret cap, and were carrying their web packs and weapons. At the moment they were inside the cafeteria and having a staring contest with the sailors.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" one of the sailors asked.  
  
"Were here to stop your guy's mutiny," a Green beret Sergeant answered.  
  
"What mutiny?"  
  
"Oh Jesus, not another goose hunt," the same sergeant said.  
  
Parker walked into the room and received stiff salutes from the Green Beret team. The sailors looked at him but did not render salutes. It just wasn't done. The navy was an entirely different life from army life.  
  
Parker returned the salutes from the team members and looked at the team leader.  
  
"You got your men assembled Captain?"  
  
"Yes sir, we are ready to be deployed," the captain answered.  
  
"Okay, you guys follow me, I'll debrief you inside my quarters," Parker said and walked out of the room. But not before he heard some of the remarks from the other Green Berets.  
  
"Jesus, I think I signed up for the wrong service. These sailors get pizza and steak for supper."  
  
"Must be because their out at sea for so long," a Green Beret master sergeant said.  
  
"Yeah well, I can take six months out at sea if it means I get to have custom made dinners."  
  
Parker laughed silently as he led the team into his quarters. His quarters were actually the commandeered quarters of the ships XO. Admiral Lowell had ordered Parker to find suitable housing for the debriefing of the soldiers once they arrived.  
  
Parker sat down onto a couch and motioned for the soldiers to put their gear onto the floor and sit down in the chairs he had stolen from the mess hall.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure just what you know about why you're here, but I'm going to attempt to explain it," Parker told the assembled troops.  
  
"We are going to be airlifted into Taipei, where we are going to be assigned as part of the protective detail for Taiwanese President Lee. President Lee is going on a trip to America and it has been reported that the Chinese are going to attempt to assassinate him on his trip from his house to the plane that he will be taking to America. All were going to be doing is ensuring that the surrounding area of Lee's route is safe and that there is no chance for someone to get a clear shot at Lee."  
  
Parker looked at the faces of the Green Berets and saw they were stone faced.  
  
"We will be taking the Huey that brought you in later today. Until then, try not to start any fights with the sailors."  
  
The troops laughed as they saluted and walked out of the room.  
  
Parker smiled to himself and looked outside the window.  
  
It may not be what I expected, but I'm finally getting control of some troops.  
  
===============  
  
As the Politburo met for the sixth time that day, the previously empty seat of Jingshu was now filled with the body of his aide, Xian Ling.  
  
Zhisheng felt very nauseous. He had gotten the report earlier in the day about the events in Japan. He was now going to have to face the wrath of the Politburo.  
  
After the others gave their reports on the usual boring political material, Zhisheng stood up.  
  
"I'm afraid that I have some terrible news comrades," he said gravely. "I received a report earlier today stating that the head member of the Yakuza and other members were shot and killed inside their home."  
  
"How did this happen?" Premier Renyang asked.  
  
"It seems that there was a betrayer in the group and he went to the Americans and told them everything. The report tells me that an American major was detained on the scene but was released and is now out of the country."  
  
Zhisheng looked at the faces of the men that surrounded him and saw the looks on their faces. Fear.  
  
"I also have the sad duty of reporting that the American carrier group Independence and Nimitz, are now located in coastal waters of Taiwan," he paused. "The Americans know of our plans to assassinate the Taiwanese President."  
  
Renyang looked furious for a moment but then his face softened.  
  
"Sit down Zhisheng," he said softly.  
  
"The Americans may know what we are planning on doing but that doesn't matter. Even if they wanted to try and stop us, they couldn't. Two aircraft carriers are hardly enough to stop the millions of soldiers we have ready to invade Taiwan."  
  
"Are you talking about actually going after the Americans?" Zhisheng asked incredulously.  
  
"Only if they prove it necessary," Renyang said. "If they wish to play peacemaker, than we will force them out of that role."  
  
Zhisheng spoke up. "Comrade, I do not think that is wise. Remember what happened in the Korean War. The Americans taught us a lesson there, and they would likely do the same if we decided to attack now. I believe we should just go after Taiwan and leave the Americans alone."  
  
Renyang looked at him with amusement.  
  
"That is what I want to do as well Zhisheng, but if the Americans prove to be a real threat, then we will have no choice but to try and eliminate that threat," Renyang said.  
  
Renyang did not know at the moment, but he had just changed his country forever.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: There is an indefinite amount of time before I am to be given my new assignment. I have been hoping for an assignment that will allow me to stay in Washington, but it looks as if I may be sent overseas again. Weapons inspectors are being admitted into Iraqi again and I may have to go over there to supervise things.  
  
But don't worry, this will do nothing to stall my writing of Until the End, because my wife has heroically stepped up and agreed to do the writing again if I am indeed sent overseas again.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has read this far, and a special thanks to everyone that has written a review. 


	26. Debt of Honor Chapter 5 Assassination

Debt of Honor Chapter 5 Assassination  
  
"Are you sure he's going to be okay?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sure," Ranma replied. "The guy just couldn't take the news I guess."  
  
Akane looked down at Ryoga's prone form on the floor of the Tendo Dojo.  
  
Ranma had taken Ryoga into the Dojo in order for him to inform Ryoga about what they inherited from Seiji Inafune.  
  
The two combined inherited two multi-million dollar companies along with a large amount of real estate in the southern United States and Japan.  
  
Ryoga had taken the news in a some-what undignified manner. He had fainted.  
  
"You can't really blame the guy I guess," Ranma said as he placed the remoistened washcloth onto Ryoga's forehead.  
  
"I don't think I would have done anything different if it had been me," Akari said as she ran her hand through Ryoga's thick hair.  
  
Ranma was still trying to figure out what all this meant. Three months ago he was looking at a future of just being with Akane and working at the Dojo. Now he had part ownership over Seiji's restaurant chain and his American based investment banking company. He was just a little surprised he had not fainted either.  
  
"My god," Ranma said, "I'm a millionaire."  
  
Akane looked over at Ranma.  
  
"Well duh," she said and smiled. "Did you just realize that Ranma?"  
  
Ranma nodded his head. "Yeah," he said and paused. "I don't know anything about running a company and I'm pretty sure Ryoga doesn't either. How the hell are we supposed to run this company?"  
  
"I'm sure Seiji thought of that Ranma," Akane said. "You'll remember that Ishii was also named as an owner of the investment banking group. I'm sure he has some idea about what to do."  
  
Ranma was about to reply when Ryoga stirred.  
  
The lost boy slowly opened his eyes and suddenly bolted upright.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" Ryoga shouted out before he saw the others. He smiled sheepishly at them. "Sorry."  
  
Ranma patted him on the shoulder.  
  
"It's alright man; I had just about the same reaction a minute ago."  
  
Ryoga looked at the papers on the ground and shook his head.  
  
"This has got to be some kind of dream," he said and sighed. "Why the hell would Seiji leave us all that. I'm only seventeen; I don't know a damn thing about running a company, let alone one that goddamned wealthy."  
  
Ranma chuckled and smiled at Ryoga.  
  
"You're preachin' to the quire man, I just said those same things."  
  
"When is Ishii supposed to come back?" Akari asked.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I dunno, the guy will probably be back pretty soon. Maybe by tomorrow, he still needs those papers of Ryoga's signed. That reminds me, you still need to sign those Ryoga."  
  
Ryoga looked at the papers for a moment then picked them up. He took the pen from Ranma's extended hand and signed his signature where it was indicated. He looked at Akari and took her hand in his.  
  
"Do you think I should do this?" he asked her, and there was no doubt that he was going to do whatever Akari decided.  
  
"Seiji wanted you to have this Ryoga, I believe it would be the greatest thing you could do in his memory if you were to take part ownership of his work."  
  
Ryoga nodded and squeezed her hand and released it. He turned back to Ranma and smiled.  
  
"Now that were both millionaires, why don't we go out and celebrate?"  
  
"Now there's a suggestion," Ranma said as he got to his feet. "Do you think we should tell the others?"  
  
He meant the other occupants of Nerima.  
  
"I don't see why not," Ryoga said. "If Nabiki already knows than I'm sure that already half of Tokyo has heard about it."  
  
Ranma laughed wrapped his arm around Ryoga's shoulder.  
  
"Well buddy, we've solved just about all of our problems now haven't we?"  
  
"Not yet," Ryoga said. "I still need to get married and so do you and Akane."  
  
"Good point," Ranma acknowledged. "Though now that we have this money, I think the ladies will want a much larger wedding than just a simple ceremony in the Dojo."  
  
"Your right Ranma," Ryoga said knowingly. "And I think maybe a western style will be the best type of wedding."  
  
"I believe it will," Ranma smiled. He caught the surprised looks the girls were wearing. "Come now ladies, surely you did not expect Ryoga and I would be barbarians when it came to marriage."  
  
The girls smiled and took the offered arms of the two gentlemen before them and left the Dojo.  
  
===============  
  
For the first day while they were in Taipei, Phillip and the other Green Berets scouted out the route that President Lee would take to his personal aircraft that would carry him to America. They quickly deduced that a simple team of Green Berets would not be enough to cover the large number of buildings that surrounded the area.  
  
Their appeal to the President to change routes was squashed within minutes. The President merely said that he had faith in the team and if he were to change his usual route, than the people would have cause for concern.  
  
Phillip ticked the Presidents reason to be that of a fool. If the Chinese did succeed in assassinating him, then the people would have more cause to be frightened than if he changed his route.  
  
But there was nothing Parker could do in the short amount of time he had been given. The team worked with Lee's protective detail, which mainly consisted of Polish guards that looked to be dressed in pajamas. There were only four men in the entire detail that carrier arms.  
  
Despite the limitations that had been placed on the team, Phillip had deduced that he had set up a reasonable defense of the entire street. There was maybe a ten percent chance that an enemy force could get at the Taiwanese President from the buildings.  
  
On the second day, when Lee was supposed to leave, two members of the team contracted food poison. Phillip at first thought it had been deliberate, but he later found out that the cause had been the exoticness of the food.  
  
The two men that contracted the illness had originally been from Texas, where the most exotic food you could find would be spaghetti.  
  
Phillip compromised and spread his already thin line of defense a little thinner in order to cover the route.  
  
As the hour of Lee's departure neared, a crowd began to line the street. Parker and his team of Green Berets departed from the presidential house and went to their respective positions.  
  
Parker would be the only man that would walk the streets, looking for any unusual activity. Once Lee's car and the car containing the other guards rolled by, Parker would get into Lee's car and go with them all the way to the airport, where he would then inform the Vice President of Lee's departure and then collect the other Green Berets and head back to the Carrier Independence.  
  
Damn fool, Phillip thought as he observed the crowd. He was still a little pissed over Lee's foolish ambition to get himself blown away. The man was the only real chance Taiwan had to become fully independent from China, and he was willing to let himself die for his own personal thoughts of being named a martyr and placed into the history books.  
  
Phillip had equipped the team with small radio frequency microphones that clipped onto the lapel of you shirt. The same kind the Secret Service used.  
  
"Check in," he said without taking his eyes from the crowd.  
  
"Six here."  
  
"Eight here."  
  
"Four's good."  
  
"Three."  
  
"Seven."  
  
"Five here."  
  
"Two is all accounted for."  
  
"Alright," Parker said. "The cars leaving now, so keep your eyes peeled and your safeties off. Do not fire until you receive confirmation from One."  
  
Parker heard the crowd begin to quiet down a little as the car first came into view. Once it was around the corner, they broke out into cheers and applause. The car slowly rolled by and that was when he heard the noise over the small receiver that was in place inside his inner ear.  
  
"This is Six; I have enemies sighted at building located across from me. They are armed, repeat, armed."  
  
Parker took one look at the building in front of him and immediately called out.  
  
"Take them down Six!"  
  
Two shots rang out and then a sudden whoosh as an RPG discharged. Six's shots were true and one man fell from the second floor window onto the pavement below. The grenade that was fired hit the ground in front of the crowd and exploded, sending civilians flying. The crowd instantly became panicked and people began running.  
  
Parker was fighting his way through the crowd towards the street when another voice came over the radio.  
  
"There are three guys on the street with what appears to be Uzi 9mm's. They are not in proper uniform and I suspect they are the enemy."  
  
Parker was now throwing people aside so he could get to the street when he saw the men. They were loading magazines into their Uzi's and one of them had turned to face the now speeding car that contained President Lee.  
  
"Stop them!" Parker yelled and almost immediately there was a burst from a CAR-15 from one of the buildings. The three men were taken down.  
  
"This is Eight; I've got enemy forces standing in the road at the end of the street with RPG's."  
  
"Shoot them!" Parker screamed as he ran down the street, already knowing that the mission was now a failure. He had seen the grenade go off earlier and the civilians that were standing near it had caught shrapnel all along their side and chest.  
  
As Parker the car came back into view, he heard the distinct sound of several RPG's going off simultaneously just as Eight's high-powered rifle sent the three men to the afterlife.  
  
One of the RPG's went wild and impacted the ground beside Parker. He felt himself being lifted off his feet and thrown across the street. Phillip hit the ground with a great amount of force and felt the air rush out of his lungs. There was a burning sensation in his leg but he ignored it and ordered himself to get up.  
  
Slowly he got to his feet and jogged the distance to Lee's already flaming car. His leg was numb but the pain was now distant.  
  
Once he got close enough, Parker saw that two of the RPG's had impacted right in front of the car, sending the shrapnel right through the car.  
  
The fuel line had been ruptured and now the car was beginning to burn at an alarmingly fast rate. Parker had known enough about cars to tell that the car was moments away from becoming a large fireball.  
  
Phillip ran to the flaming car and wrenched open the back side door. Flames licked at his body but he paid them no heed. He saw the prone form of President Lee. He reached into the car and grabbed the body in his massive arms and turned from the car. He had gone two steps when the car exploded. Parker was sent to the pavement once again, but he managed to cradle the body in his arms so he took most of the impact.  
  
Parker watched in horror as Lee's body suddenly burst into flames and that his own body was now on fire. He desperately ripped his clothes from his body and then quickly put out the flames that covered Lee's body.  
  
The smell of burning flesh and fuel was quite evident and Parker retched. He emptied his stomach onto the sidewalk and then began to heave. His stomach had nothing else to give but his body still wanted to throw up.  
  
When the ambulance team arrived, they found Colonel Phillip S. Parker IV passed out in the middle of the street dressed only in his boxers.  
  
===============  
  
A TWX was sent out immediately following the confirmed reports from the station Taiwan.  
  
To: Chief of Staff, Army.  
  
The assassination attempt on Taiwanese President Lee was a failure. President Lee was transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced alive and in stable condition.  
  
Station Taiwan  
  
To: Commander and Chief, White House.  
  
Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Parker was taken to hospital where he was put into the burn ward. He received third degree burns to twenty percent of his body. Colonel Parker also received shrapnel to his left leg during the assassination attempt of Taiwanese President Lee.  
  
Recommended Colonel Parker, receive the Special Service Medal for actions.  
  
===============  
  
Colonel Parker was, at the moment, inside his hospital room, attempting to turn the pages of a magazine.  
  
The task proved difficult due to the large bandages wrapped around his hands.  
  
The door to the room opened and a nurse stepped in. Parker watched her out of the corner of his eye as she walked over to the bed and put the wash basin and the sponge.  
  
Parker placed the magazine onto his bedside table and looked up at the nurse.  
  
"I have the feeling that you are not going to use that sponge to clean the windows," Parker said in English.  
  
The nurse, a tall black woman, smiled at Parker.  
  
"You guessed right bucko," she said.  
  
"What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?" Parker asked. "Surely you are not an enlisted woman."  
  
"Right again," she replied. "Now take off your clothes."  
  
"I was sort of hoping that we could get to know each other first," Parker replied.  
  
The nurse laughed and went to the bathroom and filled the basin with water and returned to the room. Phillip had removed his hospital gown but could not hook his thumbs on the strap for his underwear.  
  
"At the risk of sounding like a sex-starved soldier, I must ask you to help me remove my undergarments."  
  
The nurse shook her head and went to Phillip and grabbed the ends of his boxers and slipped them off his waist.  
  
"I do believe your blushing," Phillip said as he turned on his side.  
  
"Listen Romeo, just try and keep your mouth shut and then I can finish washing you."  
  
"Ah, a woman who knows what she wants, truly a diamond in the rough," he said and shivered a little when the sponge first contacted his chest. "Maybe using the hot water would have been better."  
  
The nurse smiled at him. "I thought that maybe a cold shower would help keep whatever sexual urges you may have at bay."  
  
Phillip looked at the nurse's face and saw the blush that was spreading on her face as she worked her way down his chest.  
  
"Am I permitted to ask what your name is?"  
  
"Antoinette Albright."  
  
"Phillip S. Parker," Phillip replied and smiled at Antoinette. She smiled back.  
  
"I know who you are Colonel," she said. "Or did you wonder why the army seemed fit to send a full staff of Americans to Taiwan just to keep you healthy."  
  
"The thought did happen to affront itself in my mind. If you know who I am, does that mean you know the reasons for my visit to this wonderful hospital?"  
  
"You were with the Green Berets when President Lee was attacked. After his car was hit, you pulled Lee from his burning car and saved is life," Antoinette said.  
  
Parker smiled at her. "Does this mean my heroics have won over your heart and made you believe that this crazy soldier must be the ideal man for you?"  
  
"Actually the only thought that passed through my mind was, this man is a fool for doing the things that I troubled myself to find out."  
  
Parker didn't reply and Antoinette didn't say anything else.  
  
Phillip remained silent as she finished his sponge bath and by the time she had finished, he had the World's Prize Winning Number One Hard-On.  
  
"Turn over," Antoinette said.  
  
"That would be very embarrassing for the both of us," Phillip said. Antoinette laughed and jokingly covered her eyes with the sponge.  
  
"I'll work around it," she said as Parker turned over.  
  
"I will go out on a limb and presume that you have no husband Miss Albright, and in doing so I must ask if you may consider me appropriate material for a date."  
  
Antoinette looked at him for a moment and then walked to the door. She locked it and made her way back to the bed. She placed her hand on Phillip's chest.  
  
"Does this answer your question?" she asked and took his hand and placed it on her chest. She then used her other hand to undue the buttons on her nurse's uniform.  
  
===============  
  
Ishii walked into the Inafune Ryoutei and smiled at the woman standing by the door waiting to greet customers.  
  
"Your party is waiting for you upstairs Mr. Inafune," she said and bowed to him.  
  
Ishii thanked her and walked through the restaurant and climbed the stairs to the second floor and made his way down the hallway to the office that used to belong to his father.  
  
He opened the door and smiled at the room's occupants.  
  
"Good evening," Ishii said and went to the table. He shook hands with the two young men and nodded once towards the older American sitting at the end of the table.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga were a little uneasy about the situation and Ishii could notice.  
  
"Be at ease my friends, this meeting is to clear up whatever questions you may have about the inheritance Seiji left you."  
  
"Ryoga and I have been talking about this Ishii," Ranma stated. "And we both agree that we both have no clue how to run a company like what Seiji's will left us."  
  
Ishii smiled tolerantly at the two.  
  
"I am going to let Mr. Howard explain the finer details now."  
  
The man at the end of the table cleared his throat before speaking.  
  
"Seiji Inafune left the two of you with part control over the seven restaurants by the name of Inafune Ryoutei and with part ownership of the American Investment Banking firm, Seiji, Kimiko, and Portet. The name has been since changed to that of Saotome, Hibiki, Inafune, and Portet," the man said.  
  
"The restaurants will be divided between you," he said pointing at Ranma, "and you," pointing at Ryoga. "The investment banking firm is controlled by a board of directors. You two," he said, indicating Ranma and Ryoga, "will be the Presidents of the company, meaning you have the most clout. That does not mean that you have to attend meetings or anything, but it does mean you will carry over fifty percent of the voting power on the board. You will receive monthly funds from the companies, and you will also have control over the two company's assets."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked very much like two confused six year olds. Ishii decided to try and simplify what Mr. Howard had just said.  
  
"What he means my friends is that, you will be named as owners of the Inafune Ryoutei food chain and as part-owners of Saotome, Hibiki, Inafune, and Portet. You will have no real obligations unless you want to become active in the running of either the restaurants or the investment banking. You will receive money every month from both companies. You will also receive along with the money, a bunch of documents stating both, the annual income, and the annual profits that each company earns. I know that this must seem a little surreal to you, but this is what Seiji wanted for the both of you. I ask that you honor his wishes and take the positions that have been made vacant for you."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other briefly and then turned to Ishii.  
  
"We'll do it," Ranma said with Ryoga nodding. "But we do have a few questions."  
  
"Go ahead," Mr. Howard said.  
  
"Does this mean that Ryoga and I are going to have to do a lot of traveling?"  
  
"No," Ishii shook his head. "I will be sitting in as the President of the company and I will call or come over and tell you everything that is going on. This way we do not have to have either of you ferrying here and there from the States while you're in school."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Okay and Ryoga wanted to ask you the other thing."  
  
Ryoga cleared his throat. "I was also wondering if I would be able to add the option that if I were to pass on, I could name Akari as my dependant, meaning she would take my position on the board."  
  
Ishii raised his eyebrows in question. "You expect to be doing something dangerous Ryoga?"  
  
"No, but I do know that because of my lifestyle, there will always be the chance that I may die."  
  
Ishii nodded. "Alright, and I take it the same will go for you eh Ranma?"  
  
"Yes," Ranma nodded. "If you can do that, then I'll take the position."  
  
"Is there any specific reason why you want to have that done?" Mr. Howard asked.  
  
Ranma decided to answer after a moment's hesitation.  
  
"I want to make sure that Akane is doesn't have to worry about money or anything if I do pass away."  
  
Ishii nodded his understanding and stuck his hand out to the two young teenagers sitting across from him.  
  
Ranma shook it and so did Ryoga.  
  
"Alright, now that that's out of the way, how about we have a little celebration?" Ishii asked them with a warm smile.  
  
He pulled a tall bottle of wine from a bag underneath the table and Mr. Howard placed some glasses beside the bottle. Ishii poured the wine into the glasses and handed them to each man.  
  
He raised his glass. "Absent companions."  
  
"Absent companions," the others parroted.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga shook hands with Ishii and Mr. Howard one more time before leaving. They were each feeling much better than either had in a very long time.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. The banter between Parker and the nurse was particularly fun because that is about the first time I've been able to use the clever sort of conversations that I haven't been able to use except maybe between Seiji and Parker.  
  
I have just received word that my new assignment will be a UN assignment. Any number of you can probably guess what that is, considering what you have seen in the news. I will be leaving in a month, just enough time to release the first chapter of Until the End and see what kind of reception it receives.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story and I hope that everyone has been writing reviews. 


	27. Debt of Honor Chapter 6 Starting of a Wa...

Debt of Honor Chapter 6 The Starting of a War  
  
Zhisheng watched in morbid fascination at his television. The scene that was unfolding before his eyes was that of the failed assassination of Taiwanese President Lee. There had been a warning earlier about the scenes being disturbing, and they were right. He watched as one of the assassins was hit in the neck by a bullet and his head snapped roughly to the side as the tendons in his neck were severed.  
  
The Premier was going to be pissed, Zhisheng told himself.  
  
Premier Renyang had called an emergency meeting of the Politburo earlier in the morning. He had obviously received the news of the failed assassination.  
  
He rode in the back of his staff car in silence. He was going over the speech he would be making to the Politburo in a matter of minutes. Zhisheng realized that the speech he would make would either make or break his career and probably determine if he would be killed or not.  
  
Zhisheng did something that he had not done for decades. He prayed. He prayed for his safety. It was an amazing thing for a man to do when he was under the belief that there was no higher power other than the men that sat on the Politburo.  
  
The car stopped in front of the building and Zhisheng stepped from his car. He thanked his driver and made his way inside. He nodded absentmindedly to the guards and entered the Politburo headquarters.  
  
The room was supposed to be filled with China's most powerful men. But at the moment it was filled with a bunch of frightened old men.  
  
Zhisheng took his seat without looking at any of them.  
  
Premier Renyang had already taken his seat and was looking at a television set at the head of the table. The television was showing what Zhisheng had just been watching himself. When Renyang noticed his presence, he shut the television off.  
  
"I trust that you have all seen what is now broadcasting across billions of television sets," Renyang said to the assembled men. He didn't wait for a reply. "I am not going to waist any time debating over whose fault this was, I just want to hear some suggestions on how we may remove all doubt that we were involved."  
  
Zhisheng saw that no one was going to risk the chance of opening his mouth.  
  
"Very well," Renyang said coldly, "I will call on someone to make a suggestion. Zhisheng, give me an idea."  
  
Zhisheng winced as Renyang spoke.  
  
"I have come upon the thought that maybe we should officially condemn the attack and publicly state that we will assist Taiwan in any type of investigation they will wish to start."  
  
Renyang looked at him for a moment and then smiled a little.  
  
"That is a start; do you have any idea on how we may do this as well as explain to the world about the heightened state of our military?"  
  
"Yes," Zhisheng nodded. "I was thinking that we may explain it as tightening our borders to ensure that if any of the assassins attempted to escape Taiwan and come to China, than we would catch them."  
  
The premier grunted and turned to the secretary of the army.  
  
"And how long do you suppose we may have to keep this façade up Wei?"  
  
"I would believe that we should strike as soon as possible but as well give the world the chance to forget about the assassination attempt. But I do believe that if we do strike within the next decade, we will most definitely be fingered for the attempt on Lee's life."  
  
Renyang looked thoughtful for a moment. He turned to the new Finance minister.  
  
"Have you checked on the countries economic state?"  
  
"I did," he said quickly. "It would seem that Jingshu was correct about our country being very close to running itself into a national debt, but I do have confidence that the funds we have now would be enough to carry us through however long the attack on Taiwan would take."  
  
"Good," Renyang said and turned to address the others. "That will be our course of action. We cannot wait for the world to forget about the assassination attempt on Lee. We must act now."  
  
The room was silent as each man contemplated the premier's words. Zhisheng was the first to speak.  
  
"Then you must understand that we will have to break off all of the plans to actually state our condemnation of the attempt on Lee's life. That course of action will almost certainly remove all doubt from the world's mind that we were the one's that staged the attack."  
  
Renyang nodded solemnly. "I understand that, I also understand that once the Americans find out about this, they will put so many sanctions on our country that we would be lucky if one grain of rice left our shores."  
  
"Than maybe we shouldn't be doing this," Zhisheng said gently. He was now under the impression that they were going to go to war, and Renyang was not at all concerned that it may escalate into a nuclear war.  
  
"We have already taken a vote Zhisheng," Renyang replied. "We have decided our course of action, we will reclaim Taiwan."  
  
Zhisheng slowly nodded his head. The premier was right, they had no other choice.  
  
The meeting then changed to military readiness and tactfulness.  
  
Once the meeting was over, only one man had the thought that what they were doing was a mistake, and he was also the only man who had the thought that they had just set in motion the destruction of the country.  
  
===============  
  
The DCI of the Central Intelligence Agency walked into the Oval office and sat down in front of the president. He did not look at the president but instead handed him a small form.  
  
The president took the form and read it. The form was a TWX delivered from the CIA station in Beijing. It stated that the Chinese government had announced that they ask that the American government not attempt to communicate with them. It also noted that the ambassador and his staff were on their way back to the United States for 'counseling'.  
  
He sighed and looked at the DCI.  
  
"When are John and his staff expected back?"  
  
"In about four hour's sir," the DCI replied.  
  
The president snapped the number 2 HB pencil that he had taken from his desk.  
  
"Don't the dumb sonsofbitches understand that we know what they're up to?" he asked angrily.  
  
"Sir, I believe that they do know, but that they just don't care."  
  
The president shook his head with remorse.  
  
"Is there anything we can do to stop them from attacking Taiwan?"  
  
"Nothing short of actually shooting down whatever planes and ships they send over to Taiwan."  
  
"Goddamnit! I can't do that, if we shoot them first they can say that we started the damn war, and I don't especially feel good about letting them get a shot at one of our ships first."  
  
"I don't think we have any other choice Mr. President, the only thing we can do right now is wait for them to invade Taiwan and then publicly condemn their actions and decide if we will sends troops to defend them."  
  
"I don't have to decide if I'm going to send troops, I'm going to put the entire goddamned army in there once they set one foot over the border."  
  
"We are going to face quite a lot of political heat when you do that," the DCI noted.  
  
"They can fucking impeach me if they want, but I'm not going to be able to call myself the President of the United States of America if I let those bastards take Taiwan. I already know that I've got Canada and Britain on my side, and they are willing to send troops along. So if they aren't very concerned with whatever political heat they'll face, than I'm sure as hell not going to be concerned with what congress thinks."  
  
The DCI held his hands up as if to ward off an incoming attack.  
  
"Hey Bill, I'm on your side here, I want those bastards to be sent home with their tales between their legs as much as you do. But there isn't really anything we can do that will stop them from invading Taiwan."  
  
The president looked at him for a moment and then smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you said that, because I've been talking to the heads of the army and they have a nice little plan about what to do about China. I sure hoe you don't have anything else planned for today Bob, because this is going to take awhile."  
  
===============  
  
When there was a knock on the door to the guest bedroom inside the Tendo house, the occupants had been asleep. Ryoga Hibiki, a well-muscled handsome man of seventeen, and Akari Unryuu, a black haired, pert-breasted woman of seventeen, were completely naked. During the night, the sheet that had covered them had been kicked to the bottom of the futon, and in her sleep, Akari Unryuu had turned on her side and curled up for warmth. Ryoga Hibiki lay sprawled on his stomach, one hand resting possessively on his fiancées leg.  
  
Ryoga was instantly awake when he heard the knock. He rolled onto his back and quickly got to his feet and grabbed the blanket that was by his feet and covered Akari with it. He smiled as he looked at his soon-to-be wife and marveled over how young she looked. Ryoga quickly donned a shirt and grabbed a pair of his boxers that had been casually tossed aside. He slipped those on and grabbed his pants and then finally, after checking to make sure Akari was covered up, he answered the door.  
  
"What took you so long?" the morning visitor asked.  
  
"I was getting dressed," Ryoga blurted. He blushed when Akane looked past him and saw Akari.  
  
"You're lucky no one else has found out yet," Akane said as she turned around and motioned for him to follow her. She led him into the kitchen.  
  
Akane was wearing her school jumpsuit, which confused Ryoga, because he had thought that Akane and Ranma didn't have school on Sundays.  
  
"I'm just going to make some tea Ryoga, could you go and sit outside by the coy pond while I get it ready?" Akane asked as she retrieved the kettle from underneath the sink.  
  
"Sure," Ryoga said and walked through the living room and plopped down on the steps that led out towards the yard. His breath rolled from his mouth as he breathed. It was already showing signs that it might snow soon and that was a pleasant thought for Ryoga. For once he would be in a warm house surrounded by people he loved, instead of wandering through wilderness with barely enough clothes to keep him from contracting frostbite.  
  
He heard Akane approaching and turned his head to look at her. He smiled as she handed him a small cup of tea.  
  
Akane sat down beside him and took a tiny sip of her tea.  
  
"I want to talk to you about something Ryoga," Akane said, her voice serious.  
  
Ryoga didn't reply but he did take another sip from his teacup.  
  
Akane turned to look at him. She waited until Ryoga had met her eyes.  
  
"I want you to know that I love you and Akari dearly and there is nothing more that I would like then to have you two stay here and live with our entire family, but this house is getting very crowded."  
  
Ryoga nodded his understanding. "Do not worry Akane, I had already been thinking of finding an apartment or house in which Akari and I could live."  
  
Akane looked at him for a moment before turning her attention back to the coy pond.  
  
"I was wondering if you might try and find a house for four," she said quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
Akane took a deep breath. "Ryoga, you of all people know just what would happen if my parents or Ranma's found out that me and him were having sex. I love my family very much, but I don't want them breathing down our necks every time we try and have some time together."  
  
"Than what you're asking is if I would mind if you and Ranma were to come live with us when we get a new place," Ryoga said. "Akane, I don't think that there would be anything wrong with that. Akari would be overjoyed I'm sure."  
  
Akane smiled at him, and then her features dropped.  
  
"You must think I'm a horrible person."  
  
"Why?" Ryoga asked confused.  
  
"Here I am, not even eighteen and I want to get away form my family as soon as possible."  
  
"Akane," Ryoga said gently. "I've never really had that much of a family, but I do think that I can understand when you say that having some time by yourself with Ranma is not possible when you are living here. I also believe that you are a truly wonderful person for being so considerate of your family. I'm sure that they could use a break from the madness that comes along with all four of us being in the same room together."  
  
Akane laughed and leaned her head onto Ryoga's shoulder. Ryoga calmly wrapped his arm around Akane's shoulder and leaned her against him.  
  
"There is one more thing Ryoga," Akane said. "I want you to start coming to school with Ranma, me, and Akari." She felt Ryoga tense up. "It will be good for you Ryoga, this way you can maybe find out what you really want to be, and now that we've got all that money, we can actually do something about it."  
  
"I understand your concern Akane, but I'm not entirely sure that I'm the right person for school. I don't want to end up being lost and not being able to find my way back here for months, which would be far too much to bear."  
  
"We would be with you all the time Ryoga, I think I can arrange to have you put into all of my classes, along with Akari. That way there will be no chance of you getting lost."  
  
Ryoga was silent for a moment. He took a breath and let it out, evenly.  
  
"Alright, I'll start this Monday."  
  
Akane turned around and wrapped her arms around Ryoga's waist and kissed him almost on the mouth.  
  
"I knew you would!" Akane said. "But you're not going to have to wait until tomorrow to register, I'll take you today."  
  
Ryoga frowned a little and looked at Akane.  
  
"I sort of wanted to go looking at places to live with Akari today," he said.  
  
Akane giggled a little and gave Ryoga an affectionate punch on his chest.  
  
"It will only take a few minutes Ryoga, and I'm sure that they can have you take the placement exams early Monday."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
"Do you want to go over now?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sure why not," Ryoga said as he got to his feet.  
  
"Alright, just let me grab you a coat and then we can get going," Akane said.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga marveled at how large the school seemed once he was inside. He couldn't imagine what it would be like trying to navigate your way through these hallways, while heading to your next class.  
  
He followed Akane all the way to the front office. He couldn't understand why they called it the front office; it was located in the center of the school.  
  
"You just wait out here Ryoga, it'll only take a few moments," Akane said as she entered the office and closed the door behind her.  
  
Ryoga sat down in one of the chairs that were located along the wall. He looked around the small corner office of the schools secretary and got to his feet. It wouldn't hurt if he had just a small walk around the school.  
  
He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway and turned to go down it. He smiled to himself as the thought of returning to school entered his mind.  
  
School had always been a gamble for Ryoga Hibiki. He loved going to classes and learning new things, but he always ran the risk of getting lost. None of his teachers in junior high were sympathetic towards his problem; they only saw it as an annoyance. His classmates had been the worst; he had been teased and laughed at on a daily basis. It hadn't mattered that he could have beaten the entire school hands-down; all he could do was endure the insults. Ryoga had entertained the thought of getting himself so lost that he would never have to go to school again, but he would always go out there, day after day.  
  
Things had continued that way until halfway through his last year in junior high, when a new student came to the school. His name was Ranma Saotome and he was put into Ryoga's homeroom class. Ranma had given the other students something to talk about for a few days, making Ryoga happy. It was when they were in gym class that Ryoga began to pay attention to Ranma. Ryoga was the best athlete in the school, but when they had started gymnastics, that was when Ryoga really shone. He could handle the ribbon and hoop with exquisite grace. When Ranma had first started he wasn't very good, but after Ranma had watched Ryoga go through a routine, Ryoga learned that Ranma was a very fast learner.  
  
Ranma mimicked Ryoga's routine and put in some of his on twists and jumps. This earned him a round of applause, and some wild cheers. Ranma had come up to him after the class.  
  
"You're pretty good," Ranma had said. Ryoga didn't reply. "Do you study martial arts?"  
  
"Yeah," he had said. "Why, do you?"  
  
"You bet," Ranma had replied proudly. "I'm ere to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."  
  
"How nice for you," he said. His pride had been stinging after seeing Ranma adapt his performance to match his in a matter of moments.  
  
"Do you want to maybe spar after school?" Ranma had asked. Ryoga had noted that there was maybe a little hint of desperation in his voice.  
  
Ryoga had gone to spar with Ranma and Ranma was very good, better than Ryoga.  
  
Ryoga sighed at the memory; it would be nice to go back to school. He found himself praying that he would be accepted to Furinkan High.  
  
Ryoga looked around his surroundings and found he was back at the front of the front office. He laughed a little and went back inside where Akane was just coming out.  
  
"Oh, guess what Ryoga?" she asked playfully.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You got accepted!" Akane said and giggled with surprise when Ryoga wrapped his arms around her and twirled around with her in his arms.  
  
"Thank you Akane!" he said and laughed.  
  
"All you've got to do is pass the entrance exams on Monday and you're in. But don't worry, I'll tutor you tonight."  
  
Ryoga nodded and kissed Akane on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you again Akane."  
  
"It was no problem Ryoga," she said as she led him out of the office. "C'mon, let's go home."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma watched Akane as she set the plate down in front of him. He looked into her face and saw the look of happiness that one can only display when making food for someone you love. He looked over at the other family members and saw sympathy in their eyes, and pity.  
  
"Go ahead Ranma, I made it," Akane said. She handed Ranma a pair of chopsticks.  
  
"Uh, thanks Akane," Ranma said and looked down at the food. It appeared to be a certain type of curry, but Ranma was a veteran when it came to Akane's food, and he knew that if it looked like one thing, it would almost certainly taste nothing like it.  
  
Akari came into the room with Kasumi and set down the rest of the family's breakfast. She looked over at Ranma and he got the feeling that she was secretly laughing at him.  
  
"Go ahead Ranma, I watched Akane make it, it should be delicious," Akari said and began to serve the others.  
  
Ryoga looked at Ranma in annoyance. He himself was a veteran of Akane's cooking, but that did not give Ranma the right to act like it was a poison.  
  
Ranma cautiously picked up the 'food' with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. He chewed slowly, aware that everyone was watching him intently, especially Akane. He swallowed and gasped.  
  
"My god, this is normal!" Ranma exclaimed, earning him a glare from Akane and looks of surprise from the rest of his family.  
  
Aside from that tense moment, the meal went along pleasantly enough. Ryoga announced his intentions of returning to school to the congratulations of the others.  
  
Akane made it a point not to tell anyone about looking for a new place to live. She saw that Ryoga was not going to mention it either.  
  
After lunch was finished, Akane and Ryoga dragged Ranma and Akari into the Dojo.  
  
"What the heck do you guys want?" Ranma asked annoyed.  
  
"For once in your life Ranma, try and listen to someone without talking," Ryoga replied, equally irritated.  
  
Akari looked at Ryoga with concern.  
  
"Is something the matter Ryoga?" she asked softly. She didn't like how Ryoga seemed so scared.  
  
"Okay," Akane said, gaining everyone's attention. "I know that Ryoga and Akari are going to be moving out soon, but I wanted to say something first."  
  
Ranma looked at her with surprise and Akane knew that this was the first he had heard about Ryoga and Akari moving out.  
  
"You're moving out Ryoga?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga nodded. "I just kind of thought that the way things were now was not the best way things should go. Akari and I have mooched off of your families enough."  
  
Ranma frowned. "But Ryoga, I sort of liked having you here and you as well Akari. You guys are like family now; you don't have to move out."  
  
Akane heard the sadness in Ranma's voice.  
  
"Don't worry Ranma," Akane said. "What I wanted to say was I want us to move out as well, and move in with Ryoga and Akari. Now that we have all that money we can afford a nice place that could easily fit all of us."  
  
Ranma looked at Akane for a moment and smiled. He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Well, you may be a tomboy, but you certainly have some good ideas," Ranma said happily.  
  
Akane bopped Ranma on the head but did so lightly. "You jerk," she said laughing. She looked over at Akari. "Is this going to be okay with you Akari?"  
  
Akari looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, I just don't know how big our place might be and."  
  
Ryoga saw the troubled look on her face and guessed what was wrong.  
  
"Akari," he said quietly. "They know."  
  
Akari looked at Ryoga in surprise and blushed. She turned her head to look at the ground.  
  
Akane freed herself from Ranma's arms and walked over to Akari and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.  
  
"I don't think there is anything wrong with what has been going on between you and Ryoga. The reason why I want me and Ranma to move in with you two is so he and I can have some time to ourselves."  
  
Akari lifted her head and smiled a little weakly.  
  
"Thank you Akane, I would be honored to have you live with me and Ranma."  
  
Ryoga slapped Ranma's upturned hand and laughed happily.  
  
"Well roomy, let's say we go and get ourselves a house," Ranma said.  
  
"That sounds like an excellent idea roomy," Ryoga replied.  
  
Akane and Akari smiled and shook their heads.  
  
"You see," Akane said to Akari, "this is another reason we need to move in together, I don't think either of us could handle one of them by ourselves."  
  
===============  
  
Before the four youths left the Tendo house, they encountered Ishii at the front gate.  
  
"Hello," Ishii greeted as they approached. "And where are you four going off to so early in the morning?"  
  
"Actually," Ranma said, "we were just heading off to go have a look at some houses."  
  
"Oh, you're planning on moving?" Ishii asked worriedly.  
  
"Yeah, but were only going to try and find a place downtown," Ryoga said.  
  
"Well, if that's the case, I feel I must tell you that I doubt there is that much downtown that any of you would like," Ishii said.  
  
"We would probably settle for just about anything Ishii, just as long as it's got enough room for the four of us," Ranma told him.  
  
Ishii seemed to brighten up. "Alright, than I would ask that you allow me to become your real estate agent for the day."  
  
Ranma chuckled and so did the others. "You got a deal."  
  
===============  
  
Ishii drove them to some of the houses for sale. The fact that they were all downtown meant that they had a very crummy look to them.  
  
"Isn't there any places that don't look like they're run-down pieces of crap?" Ranma asked, earning an elbow to the ribs by Akane.  
  
Ishii laughed from the front seat.  
  
"I thought you would never ask," he said and immediately took the next turn-off and sped down the streets.  
  
"Where're we headed?" Ranma asked, regaining his breath.  
  
"You'll see," Ishii said.  
  
They drove out of downtown and into a residential area. The houses were all two stories and had a grand backyard. But none of them had a for sale sign on them.  
  
"Ishii," Ranma said from the back seat. "These houses are really nice, but none of them are for sale."  
  
"Really?" Ishii asked from the front seat. "Well, don't worry about that I'm sure we can persuade some poor businessman out of his house."  
  
Ranma looked over at Ryoga, who was seated in the passenger side, and saw the same confused look that was on his own face.  
  
Ishii finally stopped the car in front of what had to be the biggest house in the entire area. He turned and smiled at his passengers and got out of the car.  
  
The house had been built in the latest renovations that the city of Tokyo had received. It was a western style home with two floors, including a basement. The exterior had been painted with a rustic green, and the roof had a chimney poking out from the far eastern corner. The yard had been styled after a traditional Japanese home and was equipped with a stone walkway and a large coy pond. Banzai trees adorned the other parts of the yard. The house was in impeccable condition, the paint and wood looked as if it had just been laid out the day before.  
  
"Holy shit," Ranma breathed. Ryoga nodded his agreement with Ranma's statement.  
  
"Ishii," Akane said gently, "Whose house is this?"  
  
"Yours, the previous owner of this house was Seiji Inafune," Ishii said quietly.  
  
"What?" the four of them chorused at once.  
  
"This was Seiji's house; he had put some renovations on it before he went to China. This was the house that he lived with his wife, and this is the house in which I was raised. It would be an honor if you would become its next residents. I know that would please my father greatly."  
  
The four young adults looked at Ishii for a moment, and then they enveloped him in a hug.  
  
"It would be a great honor if you would allow us to move into this house. And it would be an even greater honor if you would move in with us as well," Ranma whispered into Ishii's ear.  
  
"I accept," Ishii whispered back.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter was released by Mrs. Clark as I had been recalled to the Pentagon when I had planned to release it. She did an exceptional job, as usual, and I want to thank her again.  
  
I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far and I hope everyone has been reviewing. 


	28. Debt of Honor Chapter 7 War

Debt of Honor Chapter 7 War  
  
Top Secret  
  
Central Intelligence Agency  
  
Langley, Virginia  
  
From: Director of Central Intelligence  
  
Subject: Chinese and Taiwanese Relations (Memorandum #167)  
  
To: The President of the United States. Room 001. 1600 Pennsylvania Drive. Washington D.C.  
  
By Courier  
  
In compliance with the Presidential Memorandum to the Director, Subject: "Chinese and Taiwanese Relations" dated 16 October 1996, the following information is furnished:  
  
(Reliability Scale Five) (From CIA Taipei, Taiwan) Chinese aircraft carrier Luda 166 DDG was photographed by reconnaissance plane moving southwest from coast towards Taiwan. The course Luda is taking will bring it within four miles of American ships.  
  
(Reliability Scale Three) (From Unnamed source) Chinese Nuclear Submarine Han 404 SSN Chang Zheng Si Hao was reported to have left its docks late last night. Course has not been predicted.  
  
(3) (Reliability Scale Four) (From CIA Taipei, Taiwan) Chinese fighter J7-D was photographed using drag chute at air force base along Chinese coast. Seven other J-7D's were photographed landing at base.  
  
Howard O'Connor  
  
Top Secret  
  
===============  
  
Top Secret  
  
Central Intelligence Agency  
  
Langley, Virginia  
  
From: Director of Central Intelligence  
  
Subject: The War of the two China's (Memorandum #1)  
  
To: President of the United States. Situation Room, White House  
  
By Courier  
  
In compliance with the Presidential Memorandum to the Director, Subject: "The War of the Two China's" dated 7 November 1996, the following information is furnished:  
  
(Reliability Scale Five) (From CIA Taipei, Taiwan) It has been reported that several invasion sized divisions have been relocated from their stations to bases that line the coast, facing the Taiwan Straight.  
  
(2) (Reliability Scale Five) (From CIA Taipei, Taiwan) President Lee has declared that if one Chinese soldier's foot touches Taiwan's soil, an open declaration of war will pass between the two China's.  
  
(3) (Reliability Scale Three) (From CIA Beijing, China) Premier Renyang has stated that China is committed to invading Taiwan and nothing will keep them from taking what is rightfully theirs.  
  
Howard O'Connor  
  
Top Secret  
  
===============  
  
The problem of explaining why Ryoga, Akari, Akane, and Ranma were moving out was solved by Ishii.  
  
He explained to the Tendo and Saotome family that, in order for Ranma and Ryoga to be able to have control over Saotome, Hibiki, Inafune, and Portet were if they had their own private residence.  
  
Soun had taken the news like Akane had expected him to. He started to cry but it didn't last as long as Akane had thought it would.  
  
Nodoka had smiled in knowing way and told the four of them that she hoped they would remember drop by the Tendo home. Akane assured her, saying that they would still be using the Dojo quite frequently.  
  
Genma had been upset as well but his was over the fact that he would no longer be able to spar with his son in the morning. It was made worse when Happosai said that he would be glad to spar with Soun and Genma every morning.  
  
Happosai had asked Akane and Akari if they were going to need any help packing their underwear. This caused a reaction of having Ranma and Ryoga descend on the martial arts master and boot him from the room.  
  
Kasumi appeared to be sad but she put on her usually cheerful face and asked them that if they wanted she would come by and help them with the housekeeping duties. Ishii told her afterward that the house came with a staff of a maid and cook.  
  
Nabiki hadn't reacted much, other than to say that she would turn Akane's room into her own private office.  
  
It had been left up to Ishii, Ryoga, and Ranma to explain what was happening to the other Nerima inhabitants. The conversations had gone far better than either Ranma or Ryoga had expected. Ukyo had reacted a little saddened, but she didn't do anything other than to say she would drop by some time. Shampoo had been a big shock for Ranma, considering that the Amazon woman didn't try and glomp him when he walked in. And she didn't even react other than to say she would need his address and that she, like Ukyo, would drop by some time.  
  
Neither Ranma nor Ryoga had much to move into the house, so they were able to take all their worldly possessions with them in the car Ishii had gotten for them. Akane and Akari on the other hand needed a moving van for their items. Akari's possessions from the farm had arrived earlier that day and Akane had taken everything that wasn't nailed down in her room with her.  
  
They arrived at the house, which was a total thirty minute drive from the Dojo, around five thirty. There was a large banner across the door that read, "My Condolences". Ishii explained to them that he had called Phillip in the hospital the other day and told him about their moving.  
  
The information that Phillip was in the hospital came as quite a surprise to the four of them. Ishii asked them if they had watched any type of news program in the past few days. They told him they hadn't and Ishii led them inside. He switched on CNN and pointed at the screen when they entered the room.  
  
*The assassination attempt on Taiwanese President Lee was stopped by an American. This news has been confirmed by the American embassy in Taipei. We now show you the footage that was recorded by a news station. We warn you, this footage is very graphic and should not be viewed by younger viewers.*  
  
The screen changed to show a precession of cars driving down a road, there was two loud noises and a huge flash. The ground in front of some pedestrians exploded and three people were sent flying into the air. A body fell from the window where the flash had come from. The cameraman spun around and caught sight as the cars sped down the street only to be met by three men holding RPG's. A black man was seen running down the center of the street as the three men fired at the car.  
  
"Oh my god!" Akari exclaimed as she saw the car get hit by two of the shots.  
  
A round went wide and hit the ground near the black man and catapulted him off of his feet. He hit the sidewalk and lay there for a moment. Then he lifted himself off the ground and ran towards the burning cars. He wrenched open the back door to the car and pulled a body from it. He turned and took a few steps when the car he pulled the body from exploded. The black man was sent flying again and he hit the ground, still holding the body he had pulled from the car.  
  
What followed made everyone retch.  
  
The body the black man was holding suddenly burst into flames and so did the clothes the man was wearing. He stripped off his clothes and quickly put the flames out that covered the body. He then emptied his stomach and tried to do so again before the picture changed back to the CNN newsroom.  
  
*The soldiers name has not been released, in fact, it has been reported that the soldier and his team were immediately flown from Taipei to the American carrier ship, the Independence.*  
  
Ishii pointed the remote at the television and pushed the off button. When he turned to look at the others, there faces were ashen white.  
  
"That was Phillip?" Ranma asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, he and a team of Green Berets had been sent to Taiwan to protect President Lee from an assassination attempt. They are now on the carrier group Independence."  
  
"Poor Phillip," Akari said softly.  
  
Ishii chuckled. "Actually, when I called him, he was in high spirits. Apparently, some of the benefits of saving the President of a country by doing a John Wayne are that you never have to worry about buying a drink."  
  
The others chuckled expectedly.  
  
"And he has apparently met a nurse and he is quite taken with her," Ishii told them. "And she seems to be the same towards him."  
  
"Is he going to be able to come back here any time soon?" Ranma asked.  
  
Ishii shook his head. "He's probably going to have a lot of political stuff to get through before he even has the chance to think about getting away for awhile."  
  
"Oh well, at least the guy's happy," Ryoga said.  
  
Ishii nodded his agreement. "So, you guys just about ready to finish unpacking?"  
  
"You bet I am," Ranma said. "But I have the feeling that Akane and Akari are dreading it."  
  
Akane took a swing at Ranma, who dodged it. "Shut up sweetie, because now, you get to help Akari and I unpack."  
  
Ranma faked playing dead and slowly crawled to the door. Akane called after him. "If you think your getting away Ranma, you've got another thing coming!"  
  
Akane then ran after Ranma as he bolted out the front door.  
  
Ishii turned and looked at Ryoga and Akari. They were laughing.  
  
"Are they always like this?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
Ishii sighed. "Well, I guess I can always sound proof my room," he said and walked upstairs.  
  
===============  
  
The Chang Zheng Si Hao was seventy meters deep in the water. It had departed from Macau, Guangzhou earlier that week. The Si Hao had then made its way towards the Taiwan Straight.  
  
Chang Zheng Si Hao was the fourth of its kind. China had made two previous nuclear submarines, but they had been very unreliable. The Si Hao had been put to sea in 1991, but had undergone some changes since its first voyage. The ship was now 8 meters longer and had been fitted with two SSN tubes aft of the sail. It was the newest thing the PLA had attempted to manufacture, and they had not done a very good job.  
  
The design of the Si Hao had been copied from the Soviet Kilo class of submarines. The ship had a turbo-electric drive, which was outdated by more than a decade by the Americans. The sonar the ship used was Trout Cheek, DUUX-5 passive array. The ship held approximately 75 sailors, which made for a tight fit.  
  
The captain of the Si Hao, Ao Shuangrui, had been in the Chinese Navy for twenty years. He had commanded the fleets "kilo" class ships during their test runs, and had been given command of the Si Hao as a result.  
  
Shuangrui had not been surprised when he had docked in the harbors of Macau, and saw that he would be shipped right back out. What did surprise him was that he had been given a political officer to take aboard for the journey as well. His orders had been sealed and placed in a safe that was locked in his quarters. He had one key, and the political officer had the other. Both keys were required to open the safe.  
  
After debarking from Macau, Shuangrui had opened his orders.  
  
They specifically explained where he and his crew would be heading and what they would be doing. They were about to start a war with the Americans.  
  
===============  
  
The carrier group Nimitz was slowly moving across the Taiwan Straight at about three knots. They had been on standby orders for a week once they arrived in the China Sea.  
  
The Enterprise, one of the more beautiful ships in the American Navy, was two miles west from the lead carrier, Nimitz.  
  
There orders had been to expect that there might enemies in the area, though the sailors aboard were wondering when Asia had become an enemy. It was because of that that the sonar screens were being observed every few minutes by the Commander Officer of the Enterprise. It was 1746 hours when the Commanding Officer walked into the sonar room and observed the young sailors that manned the controls.  
  
A petite seaman, who was in fact a woman of the age of nineteen, gaped at her screen when a blip appeared.  
  
"Oh shit!" she shouted.  
  
The Commanding Officer, who wasn't used to hearing young women swear in such a manner, immediately went over to the young sailor.  
  
"What is it Georgia?" he asked as he peeked over her shoulder.  
  
"There's a whole bunch of ships on the sonar sir," she said, pointing at her screen.  
  
He peered at the screen and saw the blip that signified an object that was at least over forty feet long. He straightened up.  
  
"Hmm, this is probably just a training force," he said, mostly to himself. "Keep an eye on her and I'll inform Nimitz."  
  
===============  
  
Admiral Shuangrui was sitting down in his command chair. He was feeling happy for the first time in awhile. He had not been in combat before, and he was going to get his first taste of it, and get to take out the American ships. Once he fired his four Mark 50 antisubmarine torpedoes, he would then do a quick maneuver, which had been created by the Germans, where he would turn sharply to the right, and the other three Chinese destroyers would do the same, the aftermost first. In a matter of seconds, the Chinese would be turned and heading in the opposite direction.  
  
The other Chinese ships were spaced out so they could pick off other American targets before retreating into the ensuing confusion.  
  
"Bearing to Target Two is three-seven-zero. Target Four is bearing zero-six-zero, solution Light," the petty officer reported.  
  
The ops officer, sliding into his seat, turned the key in the enable- switch lock. He flipped the cover off the button for the port-side array and pressed it.  
  
The three-tube mounts on portside and starboard snapped quickly outboard to forty degrees off the center line. The hemispherical covers on the six tubes popped off. Then the torpedoes were launched by compressed air, left and right, about thirteen seconds apart. The propellers had been already turning when they had been ejected, and had control wires that connected them to Si Hao's CIC (Combat Information Center).  
  
===============  
  
"Fuck!" the petite seaman said when the flash of multiple torpedoes being fired flashed on her sonar screen.  
  
The Commanding Officer had just returned from the bridge and he was instantly beside the sonar man. He didn't ask what was wrong; he just looked at her screen.  
  
===============  
  
A lookout on the Johnny Reb saw the torpedoes as well. He called excitingly to his commanding officer and pointed to the waters. It was still light out.  
  
The CAG didn't reply, he had seen the torpedoes with his binoculars. He had also seen that the front of the tubes were black not gray, and that the weather covers were off.  
  
Without looking, the CAG ripped the phones from the senior lookout.  
  
"Bridge, this is CAG. Torpedoes in the water! Torpedoes inbound from starboard quarter!"  
  
He trained his glasses on the water, looking for any signs of the torpedoes, not that it mattered. He swore violently as alarms started going on all around the ship.  
  
===============  
  
"What do we do now?" the sonar man asked as the CO ran past him.  
  
"A couple of Hail Mary's," the CO replied.  
  
He scrapped his knee badly getting to the bridge, and he was bleeding through a large tear in his trousers when he got to there.  
  
There had been three other firings from the Chinese air carrier group. John Stennis was turning hard to port now. The desk rumbled with the sudden increase in the power of the engines. They needed to move fast, but the ship weighed over ninety-thousand tons and it needed a long time to turn. Johnny Reb was just beginning to turn now, and it was leaning hard to port as well.  
  
"Stream the Nixie!" the OOD's voice carrier over the loudspeakers.  
  
===============  
  
The three Mark 50 antisubmarine torpedoes that were heading towards Enterprise were small instruments of destruction that were capable of punching deadly holes in the hulls of submarines or aircraft carriers. They were spaced about ninety meters apart and were traveling at fifty-five knots, each guided by a thin insulated wire. They were traveling almost five times as fast as their targets, which guaranteed a hit. The Americans maneuvering attempt was only offering the ideal overtake angle to the torpedoes. The torpedoes closed in on their targets. Eight hundred meters, seven hundred, six.  
  
The sonar screens of those aboard the Chinese ships were immediately scrambled and into a confusing array as the American Nixie decoy were used. It mimicked the ultra-sonic frequencies of the torpedo head-seekers. But the Mark 50 was a contact weapon, and when controlled with the wire, they could ignore the acoustical interference and continue on their paths. The American ships didn't even have a chance.  
  
===============  
  
When the torpedoes first contacted, it didn't seem that bad, the sound was deafening, but the disturbance caused was minimal. The wake sent some water over the decks of the Johnny Reb, which made the officers think that the torpedoes had exploded in Johnny Reb's wake.  
  
The first torpedo had detonated on the number-two propeller, the inbound positive shaft. The force immediately ripped three of the shafts five screws off, making the propeller unbalanced, while it was turning at one hundred thirty RPM. The physical forces involved were massive and ripped the shaft fittings and tore the skegs that held the entire propulsion system in place. The aftermost portion of the shaft allay became flooded, and water started entering the ship through her vulnerable part.  
  
The ship became dead in the water, a navel term that meant the ship had lost all power in its engines and essentially, became a floating pile of metal. The Johnny Reb was now slowly floating across the surface of the Taiwan Straight, and was now taking on water at an alarming rate.  
  
One half of the ships crew perished when the other two torpedoes struck the hull of the Johnny Reb. The sailors were thrown from the ship as metal and fire ripped through the hulls of the ship. What happened to the John Stennis was much worse.  
  
Like most large warships, John Stennis was steam-powered. In her case two nuclear reactors generated power by boiling water directly. That steam went into a heat exchanger where other water was boiled and piped aft to a high-pressure turbine. The steam hit the turbine blades, causing them to turn much like the vanes of a windmill, which is all the turbine really was; the steam was then piped aft to a low-pressure turbine to make use of the residual energy. The turbines had efficient turning rates, far faster than the propeller could attain, however, and to lower the shaft speed to something the ship could really use, there was a set of reduction gears, essentially a shipboard version of an automobile transmission, located between them. The finely machined barrel-shaped wheels in that bit of marine hardware were the most delicate element of the ship's drivetrain, and the blast energy from the warhead had traveled straight up the shaft, jamming the wheels in a manner that they were not allowed to absorb. The added asymmetrical writhing of the unbalanced shaft rapidly completed the destruction of the entire Number 2 drivetrain. Sailors were leaping from their feet with the noise even before the second warhead hit Number 3.  
  
The explosion was on the outer edge of the starboard inboard propeller, and the collateral damage took half a blade off Number 4. Damage to Number 3 was identical with Number 2. The third torpedo finished off the destruction.  
  
The Commanding Officer of the John Stennis had been running to the bridge when the torpedoes had struck, he was thrown off balance and he fell over the side of the upper decks and crashed to the lower decks. He slowly climbed to his feet and watched in horror as the third torpedo struck the underside of the Johnny Reb.  
  
The XO (executive officer) of the Johnny Reb had been running across the lower decks when he saw the CO fall. He had started to sprint across the deck when the shrapnel from the torpedoes and the ruined hulls of the ship had ripped through the deck. A piece of the Number Three propeller sliced through the XO's neck, severing half of the tendons in his neck and another shrapnel piece struck him on the waist, ripping through his stomach and other vital organs.  
  
The explosions had destroyed the walls that helped contain the ships fuel. The fire and heat contacted the large amounts of fuel a ship the size of the Johnny Reb contained and the following explosion was even worse than when the torpedoes had struck.  
  
===============  
  
The Nimitz had been traveling about five mile ahead of the other ships in the Carrier Group, and it had been spared the merciless attack from behind by the Chinese ships.  
  
The Commanding Officer of the Nimitz, Gary Cleat, had heard the distress signal the Enterprise had dispatched before it had been sunk.  
  
"Are the Chinese ships reporting anything?" Admiral Cleat asked his XO.  
  
"No sir, they are turning and heading back in the opposite direction."  
  
"Then shoot the fuckers!" Cleat responded furiously.  
  
The Nimitz fired seven Mark 50 antisubmarine torpedoes and dispatched three Sikorsky helicopters to observe the area and see if anyone survived in the other American ships.  
  
===============  
  
The Si Hao had been moving at thirty knots when the sonar man had reported the Nimitz's torpedoes.  
  
Admiral Shuangrui had ordered the ship to fire off counter measures immediately but recalled the order when he realized that the torpedoes had not picked a target yet.  
  
One minute later the sonar man reported that the torpedoes had impacted the Fang Shi, the lead carrier ship, and had sunk it.  
  
The Chang Zheng Si Hao had escaped the battle.  
  
===============  
  
There had been no survivors from the wrecks of the Johnny Reb or the John Stennis. The Enterprise had been able to cart off about forty sailors before the ship had sunk to the ocean floor.  
  
It would be weeks before the final tallies of all the dead had been determined.  
  
===============  
  
The news of the American ships sinking was given to the American public during the morning of the following day.  
  
===============  
  
A TWX had been sent out after the declaration of war by the President of the United States:  
  
The President of the United States declared that all communications with the People's Republic of China had been terminated and that America would now be joining the war alongside of their allies. Canada and Britain declared their support of the American decision and offered their help immediately thereafter.  
  
The United States presented their information to the UN and was granted the full support of the UN in the war against the People's Republic of China.  
  
===============  
  
Top Secret/Two China's  
  
Pentagon  
  
From: Taiwan Minister of War  
  
To: President of the United States  
  
By Courier  
  
The People's Republic of China invaded Taiwan at 1768 hours on 12 November 1996. PRC troops entered the city of Changhua and took control of the city. No reports of casualties have been reported at this time.  
  
Top Secret/Two China's  
  
===============  
  
TWX: America and China  
  
American bombers attacked the military installations lining the Eastern coast of China. No American planes were shot down.  
  
More attacks have been designated.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I want to start this off by thanking some people:  
  
Bill, for giving me his time and patience for my grilling him on the type of Navy situations that exist in this story.  
  
The Naval Institute, for allowing me the access to the war games they played against the Japanese last spring. The war games I observed were the inspiration for the military action that takes place in this chapter.  
  
My wife, for forgiving me when I left the house for the month that I was away on the Carrier Independence.  
  
Okay, I just wanted to get that over with. I hope that you all liked this chapter.  
  
I'm going to be steering the direction of this story back to Ranma and the other Nerimians after a few chapters. I just want to create the atmosphere that is usually created when two countries, as powerful as America and China are, fight each other.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has read the story and a special thanks to everyone that has written a review. 


	29. Debt Of Honor Chapter 8 Taiwan

Debt of Honor Chapter 8  
  
Taiwan  
  
Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Sheridan Parker IV walked through the door to the Commanding Officer of Fort Bragg and stopped six feet from his desk, he saluted.  
  
"Lieutenant Colonel Parker reporting as ordered sir!"  
  
General Waterford looked at Parker for a moment before returning the salute.  
  
"At ease."  
  
Parker went to parade rest, which meant his eyes were located six inches above the Generals head.  
  
General Waterford put the folder he had been sorting back into his desk and called out the open door.  
  
"Johnny! Tell anyone who calls that I'll be in conference for the next thirty minutes." He turned his attention to Colonel Parker. "How are you Phillip?"  
  
"Quite well sir, Taiwan is a nice country," Parker said, lowering his eyes to meet Waterford's.  
  
General Waterford's eyebrows rose. "Oh, and what do think now?"  
  
Parker blurted, "I think the Chinese are pissing in the wind."  
  
General Waterford laughed aloud. "Well, that is not an assessment that is held by most of the people in the Pentagon."  
  
Parker considered his reply for a moment. "Sir, the Taiwanese people do not want a communist regime, and I am quite confident that they will oppose the Chinese with as much strength as they can muster."  
  
"And do you feel that the United States should help them?"  
  
"Yes sir, the people of Taiwan believe that the United States will help them and I would like to think that we would abide by our promises to a country."  
  
"Well, then your going to be happy once I tell you that the President ordered air strikes against some military installations on the coast of China, and he has plans to send over some infantry regiments to help guard Taiwan."  
  
Parker looked at Waterford for a moment. "Sir, what about the air force?"  
  
"The air force is going to be sending fighters and bombers over too. I would think that they will be the determining point in this war," Waterford said.  
  
Phillip didn't reply.  
  
"The reason I called you in here on such short notice is because I have been asked to make a list of all the Armor officers I have and send them to the Pentagon ASAP. Your name was on the top of my list."  
  
"I am flattered sir."  
  
Waterford looked at Parker. "We are also sending over Armor battalions. You are going to be the first officer sent over with them. It is because of your experience from the Gulf War that you have been given this title."  
  
Parker didn't reply.  
  
"You will be expected to go meet the troops and debrief them on what they will be doing. You will be instructed on your assignment once you have arrived in Taiwan. I suspect that you will be given somewhat of a heroes welcome," General Waterford said.  
  
Parker stood at attention. "Thank you sir, and with the General's permission?"  
  
"You are dismissed Colonel."  
  
Parker saluted, did a perfect about face and marched out of the office.  
  
===============  
  
Parker met his troops once he landed in Fort Riley. He was to spend the next five days training the 81st Heavy Tank Battalion and debriefing them on what they were expected to do.  
  
As an amazing coincidence, Antoinette Albright happened to have been stationed at Fort Riley as well. She was teaching the new medical students some of the new developments in the treating of diabetes and hepatitis.  
  
Parker had told the duty officer that he had a place to stay on the base and he would not need alternate arrangements.  
  
Colonel Parker was instructed that he would be taking to Taiwan: thirty-six US Army M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, four RG-12 armored vehicles, three Wasps (a wasp is a rapid deployment 4 x 4 reconnaissance vehicle), five Piranha III 8x8 IFV - amphibious version with two propellers and twin rudders in the rear, equipped with 25mm DELCO turret, and five VAB multi-range vehicles.  
  
The VAB was intensively used in Desert Storm, Cambodia, and Bulgaria. It was a proven track vehicle that could withstand anti-tank mines better than any other vehicle in the occupation of the army.  
  
The RG-12 is an armored vehicle with a proven track record for protecting its crew against rifle fire, shrapnel, firebombs, and the like.  
  
A Wasp is a term used from the Korean War for the lead tracks in an armor battalion that would be sent forward to observe the enemy and be able to return without gross losses.  
  
Colonel Parker was pleasantly surprised with what he was being equipped with. He had had only half of the vehicles when he had participated in Task Force Able during the last days of the Gulf War.  
  
The troops were of good design as well. The majority had graduated from Norwich (the armor school) and almost all the troops were under thirty.  
  
Parker was aware that he was also commanding the lives of over five hundred men. He had never before commanded so many troops.  
  
The troops respected Parker and admired him once the story of what he did during the Gulf War.  
  
After three days at Riley, Phillip decided that if he was going to be sent back into combat, he would need to propose to Antoinette as soon as possible.  
  
He took her out for dinner and then brought her back to their apartment.  
  
"Toni," Phillip said once they had retired to the living room, "I need to tell you something."  
  
Antoinette looked at Phillip for a moment before smiling. "I have something I need to say to you to Phil."  
  
Parker shook his head. "Mines more important."  
  
Toni glared at him. "How would you know if you don't even know what I'm going to tell you?"  
  
"Because I know that my thing is going to make you very happy and me as well."  
  
"Just let me go first Phil," Toni said exasperatedly. Phil sighed but nodded. "Okay, I was thinking that maybe we should get married before you go over to Taiwan."  
  
She looked at Phil and saw the look of utter shock on his face.  
  
"Well?" Toni asked quietly as Phil continued to stare at her.  
  
Phil shook himself out of his shocked state and looked at Toni for a moment. He got off the couch and went down on one knee.  
  
"Toni, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked her as he produced the ring box from his pocket and showed the ring to Toni.  
  
"Your prepared for everything aren't you?" Toni asked and grabbed Phil's head between her hands and leaned forward and kissed his forehead.  
  
===============  
  
Colonel Parker Weds  
  
In a small ceremony Phillip Sheridan Parker IV married Antoinette Albright MD. The wedding was attended by Major General Philip Parker and the Chief of Staff.  
  
===============  
  
The news of Phil's wedding was received with mixed blessing in Japan.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga were a little sore that they had not been invited, even if they would have had to of traveled all the way to the United States to attend it.  
  
Akari and Akane were extremely pleased and happy when the news came. They even talked to the bride when Phil called them.  
  
Ishii didn't react much; he just seemed to except it and congratulated Phil.  
  
When Ranma had gotten the chance to talk to Phil on the phone, Phil asked him if something was the matter with Ishii.  
  
Ranma relayed the news about the news that had been delivered to the house by some government official from the Prime Ministers office. The Chinese government was refusing to turn over any of the bodies that they had recovered from the wrecks of the American warships, and a small note included that they would not be turning over the remains of a Japanese man that had been conducting terrorist type of activity in the far west of China.  
  
Seiji's body would not be returned to Japan.  
  
Akane and Akari cried once they found out that Phillip was going to Taiwan to hold the Chinese at bay. Ranma and Ryoga wished him god speed.  
  
The battalion was air lifted from Hawaii to Hualien, Taiwan.  
  
Once the battalion's gear and equipment had been unpacked and checked to ensure that everything was under normal operation, they moved out from Hualien and headed towards Changhua, the city that the Chinese had taken over.  
  
===============  
  
Once the battalion had driven about forty miles from Hualien, they received a radio message from General Waterford.  
  
The operation they were going to undertake would be named Task Force Parker.  
  
Traditionally, Task Forces are lead by Majors, but there was a lack of Majors in Armor that were capable of leading a battalion size force. This being the case, Lieutenant Colonel Parker was named Commanding Officer of Task Force Parker.  
  
The troops were thrilled and Parker was embarrassed.  
  
The Task Force stopped fifty miles outside Changhua. They dug in and prepared for their assault on Changhua the next day.  
  
===============  
  
They received very unwanted news the next morning.  
  
The Chinese had sent over ten regiment sized armor forces. They had driven from Changhua and were now patrolling the western coast of Taiwan.  
  
Task Force Parker was now assigned the duty of making trouble behind the lines and destroying supply routes and knocking out ammunition depots.  
  
If they could succeed in keeping the Chinese busy behind the lines, then the United States could bring in more navy ships and completely block off the supply lines from mainland China.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Colonel Parker was sitting atop his M1 Abrams Tank when the first round hit.  
  
Parker was thrown from the top of his tank and he hit the ground hard. He quickly got to his feet and was about to run back to his tank when he saw the funeral pyre that had become of it.  
  
Four Chinese 59C Type medium tanks came around the bend in the road and began firing at the other tanks and half-tracks that had brought up the front of the Task Force.  
  
One of the Piranha III let loose a round and hit one of the PLA tanks.  
  
Parker quickly hopped onto one of the Wasps and ordered the front tanks to return fire and retreat.  
  
Colonel Parker had been on reconnaissance with a few of the Task Force troops and halftracks when the Chinese had attacked. He recognized the insignia on the Chinese tanks. He was being attacked by the PLA tank force. They had over five hundred men, and at least fifty more armor vehicles than Parker did. If they wanted a chance to survive, then he would need to return to the dugout area he had designated the home base of the Task Force. Once they were there they could hold off the Chinese tank force.  
  
Twelve Chinese halftracks burst through the bush behind the American forces and began firing and strafing the tanks.  
  
Parker jumped off of the moving Wasp and sprinted towards one of the Piranha III tracks and climbed into the turret. He trained the machine gun that was welded onto the back of the Piranha at the Chinese halftracks. He began firing at them, which brought the Piranha under heavy fire from the Chinese.  
  
An Abrams tank fired a HEAT (High Explosive, Anti-Tank) round at the 59C Chinese tanks and hit one of them.  
  
That left two tanks and ten halftracks.  
  
Parker left the machine gun and ducked into the Piranha. It was quite crowded in the tank; the tank fit four soldiers, and having another man, and Parker's size to boot, was not the best way for it to perform.  
  
"You guys have any of the TOW's left?!" Parker shouted over the tanks engine and the explosions outside.  
  
"We've got two!" the loader responded.  
  
Parker spotted the TOW's and grabbed it and climbed out of the hatch. He jumped cautiously to the ground and ran towards the last two Chinese tanks.  
  
(TOW- Tactical, Optical Wire- guided rocket, a shoulder-fired missile with the impact power of a 155-mm artillery shell, intended to be used against tanks.)  
  
The other soldiers in the Wasp and Piranha's watched as Parker ran within twenty feet of the Chinese tanks and dropped to one knee. The TOW fired and the missile tore through one of the 59C tanks and it detonated on contact. The unfired rounds inside the tank detonated once the fire reached them, sending shrapnel and fire towards the other 59C Chinese tank, destroying that one as well.  
  
The last of the Chinese halftracks retreated back into the foliage.  
  
Parker tossed the empty TOW to the ground and turned to face the other American tanks. A mighty cheer of jubilation went up among the troops as Parker walked back to the tanks. The cheer died down when Parker grabbed a fire extinguisher from one of the Wasps and walked back to his M1 Abrams tank and began to douse the fires.  
  
===============  
  
The following is a transcript from a published report from one of the soldiers involved with the 81st Heavy Tank Battalion, which was involved in Task Force Parker:  
  
Sgt. John Peters  
  
We were about ten miles outside of Changhua when we got the word that we were going to have to go after some other Chinese tank battalion had gotten through the Taiwanese lines.  
  
The Old Man had taken the news well and we moved out later that night. We arrived near Alishan the next morning and we dug in that day. Battalion had told us that we should expect to be attacked that night by the Chinese. For some reason they didn't hit us that night. They hit us the next night.  
  
The Old Man had come down to the front line that night and some dumb fucking staff sergeant tried to explain to him that it would be far too dangerous for him to be out on the front line. The Old Man listened to him and then, very calmly, told the sergeant that if he was going to be like this for the whole night, then he would send him back to the hick town that he had come from.  
  
It must have been at least two in the morning when we first spotted the Chinese coming down the valley. They were crossing the Yushan Lake and we all knew that there would be no way that we could hit them from here. The Chinese also knew that they couldn't hit us from where they were too. So what they did was cross the damn river like they were on a goddamned vacation.  
  
I turned to ask the Old Man if he wanted a drink but he wasn't there. I figured he had gotten smart and bootlegged it back to the CP. So once half of the Chinese forces had crossed the river, I hear these four short bursts. I was just about to go look where the Old Man was when the Chinese started firing back to us. But they were firing at the hillside that must have been two hundred yards from where the Task Force had set up.  
  
I got to my feet and wandered down the line and into the wooded area, and that was where I found the Old Man. He was sitting atop an M1 Abrams tank and he had a goddamned sniper rifle, and he was wearing a big shit- eating grin.  
  
I told him that he was pretty good with that sniper rifle. He replied, "Good, I'm fucking fantastic!"  
  
After that night, the Chinese didn't cross the river like it was a goddamned cakewalk. They still came, but by god, they came carefully!  
  
===============  
  
The following is a published report on Task Force Parker:  
  
Washington Post  
  
I was with the 202nd when we first heard the firing. It had sounded like American artillery but we couldn't be sure. The Colonel had said that it was probably the Chinese. It was well known that a lot of American weapons and tanks had been lost at the start of this war when soldiers and officers alike bugged out. The Colonel ordered a hold fire and we waited for the tanks to roll in.  
  
One soldier further up the line was excited and let loose a rocket from a rocket launcher. He was immediately brought under fire by the incoming tanks.  
  
The firing we had heard was the 81st Heavy Tank Battalion. Everyone had heard about the Task Force and how it had been tearing through the Chinese lines and destroying the enemy's communication depots. A large dirty Colonel from the force jumped from his tank and watched as the rest of his tanks rolled by.  
  
The Task Force hadn't been expected at the link-up until four days later, but there it was.  
  
We had sort of expected to see some old rugged man to be leading the Task Force, but the Colonel was a young handsome man that appeared to be in his thirties.  
  
The troops in the tanks didn't salute the dirty young Colonel; some of them shot him a thumbs-up. The Colonel suddenly popped to attention when the reconnaissance vehicles road past. It seems the Task Force had brought their dead with them.  
  
When the dirty young Colonel walked up the lines, the Colonel from the 202nd met him. He had just received news that the soldier on the front lines that had fired the rocket had been killed.  
  
The Colonel was angry, as any commanding officer is when a subordinate is killed, and he blamed the young Colonel before us.  
  
"If you had been where you were supposed to be Colonel, this wouldn't have happened."  
  
The young Colonel looked at the other Colonel for a moment before replying.  
  
"What would you have us do Colonel, go back?"  
  
===============  
  
Task Force Parker was a success and China now had to rethink their plans for taking over Taiwan. This first attempt to take Taiwan had only been the first wave, at least double the number of soldiers would be sent the next time.  
  
There had been a communication breakdown between the forces out in the field and those that were back in the United States. This caused the news of the Americans success to be delayed for almost three days, or as long as it would take for aircraft to get back to the United States.  
  
At 0456 hours, hurricane Kenzan had hit the coast of Taiwan, delaying all flights, military or otherwise. This meant that troops and equipment could not be flown into Taiwan, and nothing could be flown out.  
  
American forces as well as Taiwanese had been sent onto the Chinese coast, in an attempt to destroy whatever supply lines the Chinese still had left. They had been met on the coast by an astounding number of Chinese forces. The resulting fighting saw the Americans and Taiwanese pull out of China.  
  
Help from the rest of the world did not come as was promised. Britain could not assist in the war as much as had previously been stated. It was quite impossible to fly troops halfway around the world and then land them on a country that was barely large enough to contain the fighting that was going on inside it. Canada was able to send some Navy ships and send some Air Force planes, but it could not send what the Americans and Taiwanese needed most, infantry.  
  
America and its allies were losing the war.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, and Akari returned home from school and entered the living room.  
  
The house still seemed to be far too large for just five people. While the word mansion did not describe the house, it was not far from the truth. For Ryoga, the size of the house was a continuing burden on his already terrible directional skills. But he had yet to be lost for more than an hour, because the house was equipped with an intercom system in each room that allowed you to talk to anyone from any room of the house.  
  
Ishii was going over some reports when the television announced that the Prime Minister was about to address the nation.  
  
"What was that?" Ranma asked as he set his book bag down on the ground and plopped down beside Ishii.  
  
"Seems the Prime Minister is going to address the nation about the Pacific War," Ishii replied as he set the reports down.  
  
"Well, Japan can't really do anything can we?" Ryoga asked. "Isn't illegal for Japan to get involved with a war that does not directly involve them?"  
  
"Yes," Ishii nodded. "But it will be interesting to see what the Prime Minister says."  
  
The screen changed to show the Prime Minister of Japan standing by a podium with a piece of paper laid on top.  
  
*Good afternoon. As we all know, the war between the two China's and America has been increasing each day. I have come here today to tell the nation just what will be our stance on the Pacific War. I have already called the President of the United States and told him what I am about to tell you.*  
  
*Japan frowns upon the actions the People's Republic of China is taking to reclaim the Republic of China, and we will not support any effort put forth by the PRC to involve our nation in their plans. While we will not support the PRC and what they are doing, Japan will continue to have its good trade relationship with China.*  
  
"You chickenshit`ed sonofabitch!" Ranma exploded. The others just watched silently.  
  
*.and we will not assist the United States or Taiwan in their efforts to push back the attack put forth by China. Thank you, and good day.*  
  
The screen changed back to the newscaster. He smiled and went on to other news.  
  
"Coward," Ishii breathed. "He's too fucking worried about what will happen if the Chinese succeed that he's willing to sit back and let them beat each other up. Well fuck him!"  
  
Akari and Akane were embarrassed at Ishii's outburst. Ranma and Ryoga nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
Ranma looked at Ishii and could see a light come into his eyes. He wondered what Ishii was thinking but did not voice his thoughts.  
  
===============  
  
The President of the United States glared at the men in front of him.  
  
At the moment, he, as well as several other high ranking diplomats, was seated inside the Situation Room. A room that was designated to only be used when discussing and planning very important news and missions.  
  
The problem put before the men now was how they could turn the tide of the war in the Pacific. It was a tough question, and one without a definite answer.  
  
"The report that was handed to me before this meeting very clearly defined the way this war is going," the President said. "It told me that even with all the equipment and men we are putting into Taiwan and China, we are losing this war and there is close to nothing we can do change that."  
  
"Mr. President," the Secretary of State began, "we have been trying to talk to the Chinese leaders and instruct them that we are willing to start negotiations. The only reply we have received so far is that the ministers are in conference and cannot be disturbed."  
  
The Secretary of the Army spoke up. "Taiwan is a very mountainous region and we are having a lot of difficulty trying to move soldiers and equipment. Most of the high industrious cities have been taken over by the Chinese. Before this meeting was called, I received a call from CINCPac (Commander and Chief of the Pacific) and he instructed me that a hurricane has hit the coast of Taiwan, rendering all communications with soldiers in the field and back here unusable."  
  
"All you are giving me is reasons why we are losing this war," the President said slowly, indicating that he was very close to losing his temper. "I believe I asked you for ideas on how we can win this war."  
  
The room grew silent.  
  
The DCI, having arrived from Langley earlier in the morning, stuck his hand up as if he was again attending grade school.  
  
"Yes?" the President said, indicating that he wanted him to proceed.  
  
"Sir, an idea has been put forth from the DO, Phil Parker, about how we may be able to help put a stop to this war once and for all."  
  
No one replied.  
  
"General Parker has put together a plan with which I believe can stop this war from continuing. He gave me the general idea before I had to come here, so I will not be able to go into any great detail."  
  
"What if we were to go after the leaders themselves?"  
  
His question was greeted with absolute silence for thirty seconds.  
  
"Do you mean to tell me that you would want this administration to actually try and kill the leaders of China?" the Secretary of State asked.  
  
The DCI nodded his head. "The idea is actually quite simple; we would use the assistance of some Air Force aircraft and put bombs through the windows of the men that have dedicated their country to war."  
  
The President spoke before any of the other men had a chance. "I don't think we can actually do something like that John, it is tantamount to murder."  
  
"And what these men did isn't?" the DCI countered. "We are not going to be killing grandpa and grandma here, were going to be eliminating men that have put their own personal needs above common sense. We have tried to do it before."  
  
"Yes," the President conceded. "But that was when both sides were reaching their breaking point and there was really no other option, and we would have had the support of the American people."  
  
"Most of the American people don't even understand why were at war. Some of them didn't even know that Taiwan is its own independent country."  
  
"Look, this is a totally new idea, were going to have to put it on hold until we can get more opinion from the rest of Washington," the President said. "We might as well close down for tonight."  
  
A goddamned hurricane, the President thought angrily, what else can happen?  
  
===============  
  
The 81st Heavy Tank Battalion was situated along the eastern coast of Taiwan when the order to leave the country came in. X Corps was supposed to be coming in, but because of the hurricane, it meant a delay. When X Corps did arrive in Taiwan, they would set up a defense around Taiwan, in case a Chinese second wave was successful in breaking through the defensive line the American navy ships had put up.  
  
Their mission had been completed. The Chinese had been thoroughly cut off from supplying their forces in Taiwan. The U.S. navy had created a blockade across the two China seas. The United States Air Force had been able to get some bomber aircraft into Taiwan before the hurricane had hit. This enabled forces engaging the enemy to receive air cover and the ability to call in artillery.  
  
The Chinese that were left in Taiwan were proving to be very stubborn. In much the same way the Japanese had done during World War Two, the Chinese soldiers would not relinquish any ground and would neither retreat nor surrender, despite being outnumbered five to one. Instead they would opt for holding until the last soldier had been killed. In some cases, the Chinese had even done suicide charges at the American troops, resulting in massive body counts.  
  
During Task Force Parker, the 81st was able to capture over three hundred Chinese soldiers. They were interrogated and the location of more Chinese weaknesses and strongholds had been discovered.  
  
Colonel Phillip Parker had led his troops very admirably.  
  
Even though Phillip loved being in command, he was glad when the order came in. He was just recently married and he wanted to get the hell out of Dodge City.  
  
But with the hurricane hitting the country earlier in the day, he, and the rest of the 81st were going to have to stay put, at least until the hurricane let up.  
  
Parker knew he would not be sent back to the States. The news of the second wave of Chinese forces had made its way to Taiwan. He, also meaning the 81st, would most likely be sent to China.  
  
At the moment, Parker was seated outside the building that had been designated the temporary headquarters of the troops that were stranded because of the hurricane.  
  
He was thinking about Antoinette when he heard the dull drone of an army personnel carrier aircraft. He twisted around to get a good look at the airfield. The hurricane had passed through the area already, and the airfield had had to be cleared of all the debris that had cluttered it up.  
  
Phillip sprinted to the airfield and arrived just as the air traffic controllers had finished giving the pilot instructions to land.  
  
Parker saw no other personnel outside so he ran to one of the military jeeps, jumped in and positioned the jeep on the runway. He watched the plane come in and then slowly drove down the runway, leading the plane to one of the aircraft hangers.  
  
The pilot shut the aircraft down and climbed down the aircraft. He saluted Parker.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here!?" Parker demanded of the air force pilot. Flying had been strictly forbidden while the hurricane was moving across the coast.  
  
"I received an order from my Colonel that I was to come down here and pick up a Colonel Parker and the 81st Heavy Tank Battalion," the air force major told him.  
  
"We can't fit all our tanks into that tiny thing," Parker said, indicating the pilot's plane.  
  
"Sir, I was also instructed that the Colonel would be leaving behind all tanks and halftracks, and turning them over to the Taiwanese."  
  
Parker didn't like that but he knew this major wouldn't have any other information on the order than that.  
  
"Okay, where are you going to take us?"  
  
"We've got a temporary base set up in Kyushu. I'm supposed to take you there, where you're going to wait until further instructions," the pilot said.  
  
Parker didn't reply. He hopped back into the jeep and rode down to the building and instructed the troops of what he just heard and then led them back to the waiting plane.  
  
He wasn't quite going home, but it was something.  
  
===============  
  
Zhisheng calmly listened to the head of the PLA deliver his speech on how the war in Taiwan was going. He outlined the general success storied as well as some of the failures. Once he was finished, Zhisheng stood up and addressed the Politburo.  
  
"Comrades," Zhisheng began, "despite the picture that Wang Lei has drawn for you, the situation in Taiwan has actually become quite grave. The Americans have successfully blocked off Taiwan, making it impossible to move ships back and forth and for aircraft to fly in and out. We have been cut off and our troops are dying."  
  
Renyang looked at Zhisheng for a moment before replying.  
  
"And where did you receive this information Zhisheng?"  
  
Zhisheng was prepared for that question. "I, as well as my other duties, receive the reports that the political officers we put aboard the ships and inside infantry divisions. Before the Americans were able to block off our supply routes, I received a report from one of the political officers assigned to the PLA tank force. He explained to me how an American tank battalion had been disrupting communications and destroying ammunitions dumps. He said he would communicate within the next few days, and I have been waiting for almost a week."  
  
Renyang spoke slowly. "If this is indeed the case then what do you propose we do?"  
  
Zhisheng nodded towards the Transportation minister. "I have spoken with the Transportation minister and the Secretary of the army about what I would like to propose.  
  
"And what is that?" Renyang asked.  
  
"The use of our nuclear weapons."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Military life is, as it should be, very different than the life most of you people live. I realize that some of the people that read this story were at one time or another, in the service, and I do not wish to insult them.  
  
People have to understand that the military needs to keep the interaction between most of the soldiers to a minimum. If special bonds are created between soldiers, than it could very well lead to problems once they enter combat. This is one of the reason homosexual men are not allowed into the military, as it would only serve to complicate things to have them in. This is no insult to any of the homosexual population, but I agree with that thought. Physical love between soldiers should definitely be dealt with as quickly as possible.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has read the story and a special thanks to all those that have written a review. 


	30. Debt of Honor Chapter 9 Japan

Debt of Honor Chapter 9 Japan  
  
On the evening of November 27, 1996 a record snowfall hit the island Kyushu of Japan. 24 centimeters of snow collected on the ground, canceling most outdoor activities and closing schools. The unbalanced storm front had soon moved across Japan, distributing snow to parts of the country that routinely saw not a single snowflake all year.  
  
===============  
  
"Why the hell did it have to snow now?" Ranma asked as he rubbed his arms vigorously. He gazed at his surroundings and shivered.  
  
"Be glad that we are not in North America this time of year, it can be quite unpleasant," Ishii replied.  
  
Ryoga remained silent but he was as cold as the others.  
  
After news that the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion had set up a temporary base in Nagasaki, Ishii had proposed the idea that they should go down and visit Phillip. Ranma and Ryoga hadn't been very enthusiastic about the idea, considering the fact that there had been an American and Chinese fighter attack ten miles off the coast of Japan.  
  
Akari and Akane had opted to stay at the house (an idea that was strongly indorsed by Ranma and Ryoga) while they made the trek towards Nagasaki, school would be starting soon and neither of them wanted to leave Tokyo and end up further behind in their studies.  
  
The three of them had been forced to new means to get to Nagasaki, all private and commercial flights had been cancelled due to the Pacific War.  
  
Ishii had explained to them that taking a train to the border of Kyushu and then to drive to Nagasaki would be the easiest and fastest way.  
  
But they had forgotten about the storm that had hit Kyushu earlier, rendering all roads inaccessible. At that point, it would have been faster to just walk to Nagasaki and then wait the storm out and take a car back to Tokyo.  
  
For the past seven miles Ryoga had been sensing something. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.  
  
Ryoga was snapped from his thoughts when he heard Ranma shout.  
  
"Hey! Look there's something coming up," Ranma shouted and pointed towards something in the distance.  
  
At a closer inspection Ryoga could see that the area Ranma was pointing at was fenced off. Inside the fence was a large row of barracks, the sort of thing a soldier lives in during wartime. There were tanks and some very odd looking vehicles that rested on four wheels. Some men could be seen, they were holding very large guns.  
  
As they approached the fenced off area, they heard some shouting. There was a soldier in a large lookout tower that was pointing at them and shouting down to some other soldiers.  
  
They watched, too interested to really consider what was happening. A military jeep came through the fence that had been opened by two soldiers and came barreling down the road towards the three of them. A soldier got out and stood before them.  
  
"Stop!" he said in badly accented Japanese. "Restricted area, you must leave the premises immediately!"  
  
Ishii looked at the soldier for a moment before replying.  
  
"We are friends of Colonel Parker; please tell him that we are here."  
  
The soldier looked surprised for a moment, but decided that the Chinese were not clever enough to send two Japanese teenagers and a young man to come spy on them.  
  
He motioned for them to hop into the back of the jeep and sped off down the road. He entered the area and quickly explained to the duty officer what Ishii said and brought the three Japanese to the officer's barracks. He got out of the jeep and banged on the door.  
  
"I shall personally shoot whoever wishes to disturb my sleep!" the reply came from the inside.  
  
The door was wrenched open and a very large, very black man, dressed in a too tight sweater and a blanket draped over his shoulders stepped through.  
  
He took one look at the sergeant that had knocked on his door and then looked over to where the jeep was still running idle.  
  
"Oh my god!" Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Sheridan Parker IV shouted before he came down the steps and enveloped the three Japanese that had been standing in the cold snow in a giant bear hug.  
  
He set them down and turned to the sergeant.  
  
"You can leave now."  
  
"Right away, sir," the sergeant replied and got in the jeep and drove away from the barracks.  
  
Phillip turned to Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii and gestured for them to follow him.  
  
"What the hell are you guys doing down here?" Parker asked once the door had been closed.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other and then at Ishii.  
  
"When I heard that your battalion had been stationed here I thought we might come down to see you. But because of that air force battle a couple days ago we were forced to walk from the border to here," Ishii answered.  
  
"You really shouldn't have come," Parker said as he poured each of them a cup of coffee. "It's supposed to be a secret that were down here."  
  
"We won't say anything, when people asked where we were going I just told them that we had some more items to work out at the firm," Ishii told him.  
  
"Well, I know I shouldn't be, but I'm happy to see you," Parker said as he handed the coffee out. "It tastes like piss but I was unable to receive a care package from Toni yet."  
  
"Speaking of the bride, do you think it might be possible for us to meet her in the interminable future?" Ishii asked.  
  
"Actually, I sent her a letter that gave the address for your new bachelor pad, and the message that she should go visit you soon. I doubt she could have gotten over before the air traffic ban was put in place but who knows."  
  
They moved into a temporary living room, and Phil handed each of them a blanket.  
  
"Sorry about the temperature in here, but the army has seen fit to reward the 82nd with comfort rations and frozen testicles."  
  
"Speaking of the 82nd, you guys have become quite the heroes these past few weeks," Ranma said. "What was it like over there?"  
  
Phil suddenly looked uncomfortable.  
  
"Same as always," Phillip replied.  
  
Ryoga saw Phillip's discomfort and decided to change the subject.  
  
"When do you think this war is going to be over?"  
  
"Quite soon actually," Phillip said. "The Chinese lack the resources that are needed when you are going to send amphibious invaders to take over an island country. Now that the navy has blocked the China seas the forces on Taiwan have been completely blocked off. All that's really happening now is the Chinese are figuring out why they have suddenly found themselves on the verge of retreat."  
  
"Do you think they will surrender?" Ranma asked.  
  
Phillip shook his head.  
  
"No, the leaders of China are insecure and very frightened old men. The way they see things is, if China is forced to surrender, then they're going to be facing a revolution," Phillip explained. "Most of the men inside the Politburo are unqualified to run a corner shop, let alone a country. They're gangsters, they will use there power and I don't see them calling a ceasefire any time soon."  
  
"Then why don't you just go after the leaders?" Ryoga asked. "If you take them out then it seems to be likely that the citizens will revolt and a new government can take power."  
  
Phillip and the others looked at Ryoga for a moment.  
  
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're an idiot Ryoga," Phillip said.  
  
"Huh?" Ryoga said, not understanding.  
  
"I received a report the other day from my father; he had proposed that exact idea to the President. They are still deliberating if they should consider it or not."  
  
"Are you going to sit out the rest of this war?" Ishii asked.  
  
"No, the Allies are now setting forth with a plan to invade the PRC; the 82nd has been named a strike force for the first soldiers onto the shores."  
  
"Then why don't you let someone else command this battalion Phil?" Ishii asked. "For god's sake, you've more than paid your debt to your country."  
  
Phillip looked sad for a moment.  
  
"This is what I have spent my life doing Ishii," Phillip replied sadly. "I don't expect any of you to understand, but I'm a soldier, and if I'm going to die fighting this war then fine. As long as I'm leading troops in combat, I know where my place on earth is, down in the dirt shooting the enemy and destroying their land."  
  
No one replied.  
  
"Look, I'm real happy you came down to see me, but I'm not too sure when were supposed to deploy to China, and I don't want anyone else to find out you're here."  
  
Ishii took a deep breath.  
  
"There's another reason why I wanted to come down here Phillip," Ishii said. "I want to come with you."  
  
"What!?" Parker shouted.  
  
"All cargos and planes to China have been rerouted, and I need to get into China."  
  
"Why the hell do you want to go to China!?" Phillip demanded furiously.  
  
"I want to get my father's remains back," Ishii answered so quietly that the others could barely hear him.  
  
Parker looked absolutely stunned for a moment before being able to reply.  
  
"Goddamnit Ishii, China will release Seiji's body once were through thrashing them," Phillip said.  
  
"How do you know that?" Ishii countered. "What if they just decide to torch all the bodies they have collected? I don't want my father to be buried in China."  
  
Phillip looked, Ryoga saw, like a very sad six year old.  
  
"Ishii," Phillip said calmly, almost pleadingly. "I cannot take you with the 82nd, were going to be landing right on the goddamned beaches once we go over. I'm pretty sure that the 82nd will be used to test the enemy's strength."  
  
Ishii looked at Phillip with contempt and set his coffee mug down. He got to his feet.  
  
"Fine, I shall find another way to China," he said and walked to the door. He stopped and turned around.  
  
"You know something, I used to think that you and my father had been friends, but it seems you're just like your father, abandoning him when he needed you the most. You're content with leaving Seiji in China," Ishii said angrily and turned to leave.  
  
Phillip stood quickly and ran towards Ishii; he grabbed the smaller man and threw him roughly against the wall. Ishii tried to throw a punch but Phillip ducked it and hit Ishii with a mighty punch to his stomach and then hit him across the jaw. Ishii collapsed unconscious.  
  
"You stupid little shit!" Parker said angrily as tears escaped his eyes. "Seiji is dead!"  
  
He reached down and picked Ishii up off the ground and carried him into his bedroom and set him down on the bed.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga walked into the room, looking very uncomfortable.  
  
"He had been acting weird ever since we got that report from the government," Ranma said quietly. "I just thought he was depressed."  
  
Phil took a glance at the two young martial artists and sighed.  
  
"Seiji was Ishii's only relative, he was probably his only friend as well. I should have expected him to do something like this."  
  
"What did he mean when he said that you were just like your father?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Parker threw Ryoga an angry look. But his features softened.  
  
"I'll go get a doctor for Ishii and then I'll tell you."  
  
A medical doctor arrived and checked Ishii out, he didn't ask any questions, just said that he would regain consciousness in about an hour or so.  
  
"My father and Seiji were together during the Vietnam war. They were in one of the 'A' groups that the Green Beret's had sent over early in the war. I never could get the story from Seiji but after my father had had one to many, he told me about it."  
  
"When the 'A' team had been deployed in a reconnaissance mission outside of Hanoi they encountered a regiment of NVA troops (North Vietnamese Army). A firefight ensued and the 'A' team was forced to pull out. During the retreat Seiji was shot in the shoulder and he fell off a steep incline. No one saw where he went and they returned to base. My father discovered Seiji's absence and immediately ran back into the bush to try and find him."  
  
"The base commander ordered the 'A' team to go and bring my father back. They came and had to bring him back with brute force, and he was detained. It was a week before Seiji found his way back to the base. He had lost a lot of blood and he only had seventy percent motor function in his right arm. He blamed my father for simply running back to go look for him. Seiji told him that he should have taken a helicopter to try and find him."  
  
Phillip sighed audibly. "I realize that it my not seem like a very big deal, but my father and Seiji were soldiers and they had mutual respect for each other. By disobeying the order of command and trying to find Seiji by himself, my father broke an unspoken bond between them."  
  
Ryoga and Ranma couldn't think of something.  
  
Phillip got to his feet. "I'm going to go get some food; I'll bring some back later."  
  
He started walking towards the door.  
  
"If Ishii wakes up don't let him leave."  
  
===============  
  
"Christ, I'm the biggest idiot there ever was," Parker said to himself as the carrier Nimitz pulled away from the docks.  
  
"It was either this or keep Ishii sedated until the Chinese government decided to give up Seiji's body," Ryoga said reasoning.  
  
"It's not like anything bad will happen," Ranma said.  
  
"Do you even have a clue where the Chinese may be keeping Seiji's body?"  
  
The two young martial artists shrugged.  
  
"Ishii said he has some idea where the body might be," Ranma said.  
  
Phillip turned and glared at the two young men.  
  
"I still don't understand why you two came along," Parker admonished them.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Ishii couldn't do this on his own, and I certainly didn't want to be sitting at home while you and Ishii were in China."  
  
Parker shook his head. "What are you going to tell Akane and Akari?"  
  
"Nothing," Ryoga said. "The less they know at the moment the better."  
  
"Don't you think they're going to get a little suspicious when you don't come back?" Parker asked.  
  
"I sent a telegram telling them that they set up a temporary field hospital in Nagasaki and that we will be helping out," Ranma said.  
  
"You realize that there might not be a ride home," Parker said. "It could take months before we even see Japan again."  
  
"We took that risk when we decided to come over here," Ryoga said and there was something in his voice that made Parker drop the subject.  
  
"Someone go get Ishii and bring him up here," Parker ordered.  
  
"I'll get him," Ranma said. "This ship is huge and Ryoga would probably wind up lost."  
  
Ranma chuckled and dodged the punch Ryoga threw at him.  
  
He returned with Ishii ten minutes later.  
  
"Were going to land on Shanghai early in the morning, you better get some rest," Parker said. "And remember that if anyone asked you what outfit you're in; just tell them that it is classified."  
  
Ishii nodded and walked away. He had not talked to Parker at all since Parker beat him up back in Nagasaki.  
  
Parker turned from the others and stared back at the receding land.  
  
===============  
  
The DCI of the Central Intelligence Agency smiled at the man sitting before him.  
  
"They're still undecided about going after the Politburo, but I'm pretty sure the President is already sold on the idea."  
  
"That's good," Phillip Sheridan Parker III, General (retired), said. "But with the way we kicked the Chinese asses right back out of Taiwan, I'm afraid they wont see it as necessary."  
  
"Actually," the DCI said, pulling a report from his desk. "I received this message earlier today."  
  
He handed the report to Parker.  
  
Top Secret  
  
Langley, Virginia  
  
Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters  
  
To: Director of Central Intelligence  
  
In response to Presidential Memorandum to the Director, Subject: "Chinese Leadership", dated 22 November 1996, the following information is furnished:  
  
(Reliability Scale Five) (From CIA Beijing) Chinese leaders discussed the use of tactical missiles against Allied forces in the Pacific. Leader's undecided upon usage of weapons.  
  
(Reliability Scale Four) (From CIA Taiwan) President Lee has urged that the use of nuclear weapons upon Taiwan will need to be answered with a strike by America.  
  
Howard O'Connor  
  
Top Secret  
  
"Oh shit," Parker moaned. "How could anyone be so stupid?"  
  
"You have to understand they're state of mind right now Phil, the DCI said seriously. "At the moment they're invasion has been repelled and they are now faced with an enemy that is very powerful and has nearly the rest of the world backing them. All the countries that have offered their support for China have taken them back. Right now the only thing that China has right now is a large population and a large quantity of nuclear tipped warheads, and when you have got more of something than your enemy, you're going to want to milk that as much as possible."  
  
"China has more warheads than us?" Parker asked surprised.  
  
"After the disarmament treaty we struck with the Russians yes," the DCI said.  
  
"Okay, I guess it makes a little bit more sense but still, they cannot expect America to sit by while they throw the nuclear option in our faces. If they do that for too long, than were just going to figure that they're really going to use them and that will not be good for anyone," Parker said.  
  
"Yes," the DCI agreed. "That's why I'm going over to the White House today and setting in the proposal of taking out China's nuclear weapons."  
  
"Really?" Parker asked, amused.  
  
"I don't know if the President will go for it, but at least I'll succeed in putting the plan out there."  
  
Parker nodded.  
  
The DCI decided to drop the other bit of news.  
  
"I received another report as well."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
The DCI hesitated and then decided.  
  
"The 82nd is on route to China at the moment."  
  
"With Phillip?" Parker asked quietly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Parker bit back on the lump that had formed in his throat.  
  
"What support are they getting?"  
  
"As of now, they are going in without any support."  
  
"Then they're being used as a goddamned test battalion," Parker said angrily. "When you go see the President you tell him that I want the goddamned entire Third Army in there!"  
  
"Control yourself Phil!" the DCI shouted.  
  
Parker looked at him for a moment as if the DCI had been speaking a foreign language.  
  
"Sorry," Parker said.  
  
"I understand," the DCI said. "Have faith in Phillip, he is the best man for the job. If anyone can come out of such an attack, it's him."  
  
"I know," Parker said sadly. "It's just that I am one of the few people that understand the things the army does and I'm also one of the few that have first-handedly dealt with the mistakes that the army has made. I don't want Phillip to end up as a blunder in the history books."  
  
The DCI couldn't think of anything to say so he just gathered up his reports and patted Parker on the shoulder and left the office.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: This is the chapter that will set up the final chapter of Debt of Honor. I realize that some people may be scratching their heads at the moment but I wish for you to be patient. I promise that the last chapter will be the best yet.  
  
Thanks to all of you who have read the story so far and a special thanks to those that have written a review. 


	31. Debt of Honor Chapter 10 China

Debt of Honor Chapter 10 China  
  
"And just where is Mr. Saotome and Mr. Hibiki?" Ms. Hinako asked Akane and Akari as class began.  
  
Akane silently cursed Ranma for making her make up excuses for him. She had expected Ms. Hinako to get angry over Ranma and Ryoga's absences, but she had not expected the anger to be directed at her and Akari.  
  
"They went on a trip to Nagasaki," Akane answered. "They have set up a temporary care center for Americans that are injured there and the both of them wanted to help out."  
  
Ms. Hinako seemed to seriously consider the truth in Akane's statement before replying.  
  
"Okay, but you make sure to tell him that he's going to have a lot of homework when he comes back," Ms. Hinako said.  
  
"Okay," Akane replied, releasing the breath that she had been holding. She stole a glance at Akari, who was seated beside her, and saw the relief on her face as well.  
  
Akari had only been at the school for about a week, but she had seen enough students subjected to Ms. Hinako's chi-draining technique to become wary of the diminutive teacher.  
  
The class turned to the day's lesson. Akane made a conscious effort to keep her mind from wandering but it was to no avail. She was now thinking about Ranma.  
  
Akane had been around Ranma enough to know that he was not in Nagasaki anymore. Once news of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion's departure from Nagasaki had hit the newswires, Akane knew that Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii would be heading off to China with them.  
  
Akari was no different from Akane. There were no doubts in her own mind about what Ranma and Ryoga had actually done when they reached Nagasaki.  
  
The same thought struck them both at the same time.  
  
There was a war going on no more than a thousand miles away, and here they were inside a classroom listening to a teacher describe some arithmetic.  
  
===============  
  
The President of Taiwan placed a telephone call to the President of the United States.  
  
The White House switchboard immediately put President Lee's call through.  
  
"Hello?" the President of the United States said into the telephone.  
  
*Hello Mr. President.*  
  
"Oh, hello Lee," the President replied. "How may I help you?"  
  
*Actually, I was wondering if you happened to have received word on the Chinese diplomatic talks the other day.*  
  
"As a matter of fact," the President said, twisting in his chair to reach the document that was sitting on his desk. "I happen to have a document right here."  
  
*Good, I just wanted to make sure you had the news.* the President of Taiwan said.  
  
"It is very grave news," the President said.  
  
*Yes.*  
  
"I was actually thinking of calling you about this report and seeing if you had any ideas," he said. "Because around here I'm getting no help."  
  
*I have been speaking to my SECARMY, and he has proposed the idea that we take out the People's Republic of China's nuclear weapons.*  
  
"That would be quite a task," the President said.  
  
*I know, that is why I was hoping you would have some other ideas.*  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, I had an idea put before me awhile ago," the President said. "It was put together by some senior member of the CIA, and it proposed the idea of going after the leaders of China."  
  
*As in assassinate them?*  
  
"I would use the word eliminate but yes, that's about right."  
  
*That would almost be as risky as taking out their nuclear weapons.*  
  
"I would think that my National Security Advisor said it the best. He said, 'Mr. President, this war was started by old men that are very insecure, and now that they are being pushed back, they are very frightened. If using their nuclear weapons will help them win this war, then they will offer no hesitation in using them.' I agree one hundred percent with that thought."  
  
*I would agree myself. But where does that leave us? We can either go after these men, or eliminate their greatest asset.*  
  
The President of the United States thought before he responded.  
  
"We could do both," he said simply.  
  
*Kill the Politburo and destroy their nuclear arms? That is a proposition that I like.*  
  
"We would need a large force to accomplish such a feat," the President said, mainly to himself. "Probably around two hundred men to do it. Then I would need to use the Air Force."  
  
*How may men sit on the Politburo?*  
  
"I think there is at least ten, but I'll have to ask the DCI. What in the way of assets do you think you could supply?"  
  
*I regret to say that nearly all of my country's forces have been committed to expelling the Chinese,* the President of Taiwan said, embarrassed.  
  
"That is alright my friend; I understand that it is never easy to fight an army so large on land so small. I experienced the same sort of feeling during the Vietnam War."  
  
*What about the British? Could they lend assistance?*  
  
"Yes, I could speak with the Prime Minister and convince him to lend us the use of some SAS (Special Air Service; Britain's Special Forces) divisions. I was also thinking that the Canadians could help us out as well."  
  
*Yes, they have already proved willing to help, unlike most of the other countries,* he added bitterly.  
  
"You must understand that most countries are very uneasy about joining a war that probably should have stayed a civil war, even though they did attack us first. I was just thinking that the Canadians are the only country to have sent us assistance so far."  
  
President Lee did not reply.  
  
"If we were to conduct such an operation, what kind of troops would we need?"  
  
*I believe that you should use some of your Green Beret's for such a mission.*  
  
"Why would you think that?" the President of the United States asked.  
  
*I have first-hand involvement with them.*  
  
The President chuckled.  
  
"Well, it is a shame that the certain Green Beret officer that saved you is now on route to China."  
  
*Parker has been sent to China?*  
  
"Yes, he is the commanding officer of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion. His father tells me that young Phillip said that he had never commanded such troops before."  
  
*Well, let us hope that they will have greater success than the other divisions that have attempted to invade the PRC.*  
  
"Yes," the President said solemnly, then, after a moment, "We seem to have gotten off topic."  
  
*Right. I believe that if we are to send troops over to hit the Chinese nuclear weapons depots, then we should use Special Forces teams from all the Allied nations.*  
  
"I would think that that would be for the best. I'll start my Secretary of State on that right now. Was there anything else Lee?"  
  
*No, thank you for your time my friend.*  
  
"Anytime Lee," the President said and hung up.  
  
===============  
  
November 30 would be a day that would hold many odd occurrences.  
  
Canada, a nation most withheld for its position as a peacekeeper, immediately agreed to send the STRIKE Special Forces team to join in the joint U.S.-Taiwan mission.  
  
In an attempt to gain support, China sent diplomats to Moscow. Once the plane that had been carrying the diplomats reached Russian airspace, three Russian fighters ordered the plane to return to China. The President of Russia had stated their support for the American effort to stop the Chinese. They had even agreed to send a Spetznaz (Russian Special Forces team) team to help eliminate the Chinese nuclear capabilities.  
  
China, deciding that they would not be able to get any support from the rest of Asia or Europe, sent diplomats to the Middle East. In a freak accident, Iraqi fighters shot at the diplomat's plane. Earlier that day, the CIA had forged a document that stated the purpose of a Boeing 747 that would enter Iraqi was to bring in some Kurd traitors to gain support in the southern part of Iraqi. The Chinese diplomat's plane left Iraqi unharmed.  
  
On the war-front, there were many odd happenings.  
  
Upon landing at Shanghai, the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion was met with absolutely no oppressive fire. The news of what the 82nd had done in Taiwan had reached even China. The Chinese troops had abandoned their posts once word of the 82nd's approach reached their stations.  
  
===============  
  
Misfortune struck the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion on its second day in China.  
  
While on patrol, four American soldiers were killed when the steep cliff face they were climbing gave way. They plummeted over one hundred feet to their deaths.  
  
They were buried twenty miles outside of Shanghai.  
  
===============  
  
Colonel Parker swore furiously and kicked his M1 Abrams tank.  
  
He had just received a radio intercept from the command station they had set up in Shanghai.  
  
Until proper replacements could be sent in for the men killed in the landslide, the 82nd were to cease all movements. They would have to set up a temporary camp in the Chinese wilderness, during December.  
  
Parker had tried to get permission to at least move half of the battalion, including Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii, back to the command station. His request had been denied.  
  
"What does this mean Colonel?" the sergeant operating the radios asked.  
  
"It means you better start warming up your hands sergeant," Parker said and stormed back to the camp.  
  
"Well, well," Ranma said in way of greeting, "Don't we look to be in a good mood."  
  
"Shut up!" Parker snapped. He saw the surprised expression on the soldier's faces and Ranma's. "I've just received orders to hold our positions until we can get proper replacements for the men lost yesterday."  
  
"Shit!" one of the soldiers said angrily. "We only lost four guys Colonel, why can't we just go on?"  
  
"We can't keep going because there is absolutely no way the brass back in Taiwan think that we could finish ripping the Chinese new assholes with only three hundred men," Parker responded.  
  
"Well, why don't you just use those three?" a captain asked, indicating the three Japanese.  
  
The men of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion had not raised any questions to the presence of Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii. Phillip had explained to the troops that they were from the CIA and that they could not answer any of their questions.  
  
For their part, the three Japanese stowaways had made themselves as inconspicuous as possible. That had proved incapable of happening due to the natural curiosity of the soldiers. Ranma and Ryoga weren't fluent in English so Ishii and Phillip acted as interpreters whenever a question was directed at the two of them.  
  
It had been decided that Ryoga, Ranma, and Ishii would depart from the 82nd when they were within five hundred miles of Beijing. Ishii had said that he had been receiving reports in Japan about any information on a Japanese body, and the last report he had received had said that the body was being held in a hospital inside Beijing.  
  
"Out of the damn question!" Parker said.  
  
"Why?" another soldier asked.  
  
"These men are not enlisted in the army and they are not American citizens."  
  
"Who's going to say anything?" the same captain asked. "All we can do is put them in a uniform and give them a quick lesson on how to load the guns and run the M1's."  
  
Phillip looked at the troops in front of him and glanced over at the three Japanese.  
  
"There is no way I'm letting them into the damn tanks."  
  
===============  
  
"Captain Ranma Saotome, reporting for duty," Ranma said mockingly to the mirror in front of him.  
  
Ranma had been given the uniform of a captain. The patch that had the name inscribed was removed. The patch that displayed the insignia of a member of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion was displayed on his chest.  
  
Ryoga had the uniform of a Warrant Officer, First Class. The patch that gave the name had also been removed.  
  
If the name insignia had not been removed, the two Japanese teenagers could have been mistaken for American Armor officers.  
  
Both of them were muscular and tall for their age, which made them fill out the uniform flatteringly.  
  
Ryoga glanced over at Ranma, his face was grim.  
  
"This isn't a goddamned jock Ranma."  
  
Ranma turned around and smiled. "You will address me as captain, or sir, Mr. Hibiki."  
  
Ryoga shook his head and stepped outside the tent. The cold air nipped at his chest and he crossed his arms over the not-so-adequate material of the uniform. Ranma followed him out and patted Ryoga on the shoulder as he passed.  
  
"Come on; let's go see how Ishii looks."  
  
They walked towards a nearby tent and pushed past the flap.  
  
"Whoa, looking good Ishii," Ranma said.  
  
Ishii had received the uniform of a Sergeant, Second Class. The particular uniform he was wearing had belonged to one of the American officers killed in the accident the previous day. The tiny ribbons that had been used as the representative for the medals the soldier won in battle had not been removed.  
  
Sergeant Forrestor had been a member of the 101st Airborne, as well as being an Armor grade officer.  
  
He had won the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal given to army aviators that had performed admirably at the controls of an army aircraft. Sergeant Forrestor had been an honorary member of the Foreign Legion; in the grade of Chevalier. He had French Parachutists wings, as well as two American parachutists' wings. Two small stars adorned the bottom of the American parachutist's ribbon, signifying two jumps into combat.  
  
Sergeant Forrestor had obviously been a very admirable soldier.  
  
"I feel a little uncomfortable wearing the uniform of a soldier that has passed," Ishii said.  
  
"It was the only other spare threads, and we need to look like American soldiers," Ranma said reasonably.  
  
"And doesn't that bother you?" Ryoga asked sharply. "Were going to be out there fighting people with weapons that won't just injure them, were going to be killing people."  
  
"Oh calm down," Ranma said. "All were going to be doing is riding with Phil, he won't let us go out on our own."  
  
That seemed to reassure the others so Ranma let it drop. They left the tent and went to track down Phil.  
  
They found him adjusting the tracks on his M1 Abrams tank.  
  
"Well, don't you all look splendid," he said sarcastically.  
  
"What's with the tone?" Ranma asked.  
  
Phillip stared at them for a moment before replying.  
  
"If you're going to be acting like American officers, I want you to act like one. You will finish each sentence with either my rank or 'sir'."  
  
Ranma and the others saw that he was dead serious.  
  
"Yes sir, no excuse sir," Ranma said and popped off a quick salute.  
  
"Good, now, I've got some bad news," Phillip said. "It appears that you guys will not be able to ride with me. There's no room for people that don't now what's going on. I can fit Ishii in, but that's only because he knows how to work the radios. You two," he said, pointing at Ranma and Ryoga, "will have to ride along in the other half tracks. I've explained to the other troops that you don't have any experience and that you're not to be given any job other than to get out of the soldiers way."  
  
Ranma and Ryoga nodded.  
  
===============  
  
Captain Ranma Saotome quickly grabbed onto the support bar inside the M1 Abrams tank as they came barreling through the thick, frost infested foliage. He glanced at the other men and saw that they were bouncing around as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  
  
Ranma couldn't see three feet through the thick dense jungle, but he knew that there was at least fifty other American halftracks out there, and most likely some Chinese.  
  
Before Ranma knew what had happened, the scene suddenly changed and they were now moving across a very large field, covered in snow. Explosions began rocking the earth.  
  
"Shit!" the lieutenant driving cursed. "Looks like there's some infantry further up."  
  
Ranma looked closely and spotted a bunch of soldiers lying on their stomachs firing at them.  
  
"We got any Canister rounds back there?" the lieutenant asked. (A canister round is a large round fired from tanks that is used against troops on the ground due to the massive amount of little ball bearings inside that, when fired, can rip apart over twenty soldiers from one hundred yards away).  
  
"No, all's we got is the HEAT's," the loader responded.  
  
"Shit," the lieutenant cursed again. "Well, load it anyways."  
  
(Firing a HEAT round at ground troops is equivalent to firing a .45 at a fly.)  
  
The loader quickly popped one of the HEAT rounds into the gun and yelled the okay to the gunner.  
  
"Fire!"  
  
The Tank shuddered as the HEAT round was expelled.  
  
Ranma watched, fascinated as two of the Chinese infantrymen disappeared in the large explosion of snow and fire.  
  
"Hold on tight!" the lieutenant called back. "Looks like we attracted some attention."  
  
Just as the lieutenant finished saying that, an explosion nearly tipped the M1 Abrams onto its side. Fire erupted through the outer shield and the man standing in the hatch was killed as the explosion ripped pieces of shrapnel through his chest. His body was thrown from the hatch and into the snow.  
  
Ranma, the first to recover, quickly jumped to his feet and climbed out of the hatch. Remembering what Phillip had said to his troops about bringing back the bodies of the dead, Ranma jumped from the top of the M1 and sprinted to the gunner's body.  
  
As he reached the body he noticed the wounds and felt bile rise in his throat. Steeling himself, he bent down and picked up the body and ran back to the tank. He dumped the body inside and called in.  
  
"Let's get the fuck out of here!"  
  
The lieutenant, who had just regained his composure, didn't understand what Ranma had said, but he didn't need to. He put the M1 in reverse and spun it to the right and took off. The M1 Abram had a .60 mounted to the top of the tank where someone could man it while standing in the hatch. Ranma spun the .60 around and began firing at the Chinese infantrymen as they strafed by.  
  
Ranma, while firing, craned his neck and saw the other American halftracks following the lieutenant's movements. Ranma saw the Piranha III that Ryoga had been placed in. Ryoga himself had taken a position inside the halftrack and was now acting as the loader for the large turret.  
  
The M1 shook as another HEAT round was fired at the Chinese infantrymen. The Chinese tanks and halftracks were hidden in the dense foliage.  
  
Ranma felt something slam into his head and he was driven back into the M1. His eyes blacked out and he immediately brought his hands to his face. He didn't feel any blood and when his breathing returned to normal he opened his eyes and saw that he had caught a round from one of the Chinese infantrymen. Luckily, Ranma's helmet had been suitable in keeping the bullet from reaching the flesh that was underneath it.  
  
"Christ!" the lieutenant said as he suddenly slammed the M1 into reverse.  
  
Ranma got to his feet and looked out and saw that seven Chinese tanks had burst through the foliage and were charging straight at the 82nd. Ranma climbed back up into the turret and looked at the other American halftracks. Ryoga's Piranha III was quickly spinning around and about to go off in the other direction. Ranma was about to go back to the .60 when he heard Phillip's voice come through the radio in his helmet.  
  
"Get your fucking ass back inside that M1 Saotome!"  
  
"The other guy's dead!" Ranma shouted into the microphone before he remembered that he had to hit the switch. "The other gunner got killed Phillip."  
  
"I don't care!" Phillip's angry reply came. "You are a goddamned civilian and I am not going to let you get blown away!"  
  
"Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to allow us to go on this fucking trip!" Ranma shouted angrily.  
  
Any further conversation was stopped when the Chinese tanks suddenly began firing. Explosions began erupting around the American halftracks as the Americans continued their retreat.  
  
"Let's pull back and set up a perimeter before we let these sonsofbitches have it!" Parker's voice came over the intercom.  
  
As if to respond to Parker's words, two of the American M1 Abrams fired a counter barrage at the advancing Chinese tanks. The HEAT rounds hit the ground in front of the tanks. The Chinese tanks were not in very good condition and one of the tanks got stuck in the ditch that was created by the American rounds.  
  
Ryoga's Piranha III, seeing the Chinese tank get stuck, stopped and turned it's turret to face the Chinese.  
  
"Start your fucking engines Thomas!" Parker shouted into the radios, meaning the Piranha III.  
  
"I've got a good shot!" A voice came over the intercom.  
  
Ranma twisted in the turret as they passed the Piranha III and watched as Ryoga slammed a round into the gun and the tank shuddered as a round was fired. The other American tanks slowed to watch as the round fired from the Piranha III impacted the Chinese tank stuck in the ditch. The tank was destroyed in an impressive shower of sparks.  
  
Ranma heard a resounding cheer over the radios from the Americans.  
  
"Did you see that Ranma!?" Ryoga's exited voice came over the radio.  
  
Ranma didn't get a chance to respond as the Piranha III that Ryoga was in suddenly erupted into flames.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: The chapter before this one, I received the review telling me that I could not wrap up things between China and America in only one chapter, as both country's are obvious superpowers, and only a couple thousands words could not convey the brutality of war that would be the end result should both countries ever go to war. I agree with the person's statement, and I want to thank him for his opinion. Of course, this is not the last chapter of the story, it is the last chapter of the third volume though.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has written a review. 


	32. Volume 4 Prologue Semper Fi

Volume 4 Prologue Semper Fi  
  
Ryoga yelped in surprise when the round struck the Piranha III that he had been sitting in. The force of the explosion threw Ryoga off his seat and into the man loading the rounds into the Piranha III turret.  
  
He was about to apologize when he noticed the loader had half of his head gone. Blood and brain matter was splattered along the interior of the tank.  
  
Ryoga threw up.  
  
Once he had stopped retching, he got to his feet and checked out the others. The soldier driving the tank was okay and he was throwing the tank into reverse.  
  
"The loader's dead!" Ryoga yelled to the soldier.  
  
The driver looked back, saw the loader's body and turned back to the controls.  
  
Ryoga had been listening to the driver and loader converse and he had a small idea of how to do what the loader had been doing.  
  
"I take over," Ryoga told the driver in much accented English.  
  
Ryoga grabbed one of the many heat rounds and slapped it into the tube. He picked a target and shouted.  
  
"Fire!"  
  
The Piranha III shuddered when the as the round was expelled. Ryoga's rang from the noise but he continued to watch as his eyes followed the round he had just fired. He had missed his target, but he had been close.  
  
"Were taking a new route!" the driver called out. He spun the Piranha III to the right and took off.  
  
Ryoga glanced out the Piranha and was able to make out Ranma's M1 Abrams tank leading the column as it raced alongside the enemy positions. Ranma had taken a position inside his tank as well; he was manning the .60 caliber machine gun on top of the tank.  
  
He turned back to his duty and missed seeing Ranma get hit by enemy fire.  
  
As they sped down through the snow, Ryoga heard the noise that is made when several heavy tanks fire at once.  
  
The earth shook as the rounds impacted around the American tanks.  
  
The soldier driving the Piranha III suddenly slammed the halftrack into reverse as Ryoga heard Phil's voice come over the small radio inside of his helmet.  
  
"Get your fucking ass back inside that M1 Saotome!"  
  
There was a moment before Ranma replied.  
  
"The other guys dead!" Ranma's voice shouted.  
  
"I don't care!" Phillip yelled angrily. "You are a goddamned civilian and I am not going to let you get blown away!"  
  
Ryoga didn't know if Ranma replied or not because several Chinese tanks burst through the foliage ahead and began firing.  
  
"Shit!" Ryoga cursed as the driver suddenly spun to the left and began to retreat.  
  
"Let's pull back and set up a perimeter before we let these sonsofbitches have it!" Phil said.  
  
Ryoga saw two other tanks turn their turrets to bear on the advancing Chinese tanks. He slowly brought the long tube of the Piranha III around to face the Chinese tanks.  
  
He fired a HEAT round at them but missed. The soldier driving noticed that two of the Chinese tanks got stuck in the ditches that had been created by their fire. He stopped the tank.  
  
"Fire another one at those bastards!" the driver called back.  
  
"Start your fucking engines Thomas!" Phil's voice ordered.  
  
"I've got a good shot!" the driver responded.  
  
While they were talking, Ryoga was able to get another HEAT round into the tube. He made sure his sights were lined up and fired.  
  
It seemed that time slowed as the round fired from the Piranha III traveled the five hundred feet to the Chinese tanks stuck in the ditch. The round impacted and the Chinese tanks exploded in an impressive array of fire and sparks.  
  
Ryoga hit the small switch on his helmet that allowed him to talk to the other soldiers.  
  
"Did you see that Ranma!?" Ryoga asked excitedly.  
  
But before he could hear a response, a Chinese halftrack that had been located in the foliage directly across from Ryoga's position fired. The round hit the Piranha III.  
  
Ryoga was thrown roughly to one side of the Piranha III. He did not lose consciousness and he had the moments panic when he noticed that everything was on fire. He tried to get to his feet but a large wave of pain lanced through his body and dropped him back to the floor of the Piranha III.  
  
Ryoga last conscious thought before the pain and fire overtook him was of Akari.  
  
===============  
  
Akari gasped and dropped her teacup onto the floor.  
  
"What's wrong?" Akane asked concerned.  
  
Akari looked at Akane for a moment with a horrified expression on her face.  
  
"N-nothing," Akari said shakily and bent down to pick up the pieces of her teacup.  
  
I could have sworn I heard someone calling my name, Akari said to herself.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: A short chapter to get you prepared for the last volume of Balance of Power. This volume will not be as long as the others, as it will mostly be filled with the final events. An Epilogue will follow the final chapter, and I have been toying with the idea of writing a sequel to this story.  
  
Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed this story, I realized that this story is now novel-length. Now I want you all to remember that my wife will be writing the next few parts of this so try and write a review.  
  
Thanks to all of you who have read this far and a special thanks to all those who have written a review. 


	33. Semper Fi Chapter 1 Comrades

Semper Fi Chapter 1 Comrades  
  
Ranma felt his heart stop. The American tank force continued to retreat from the Chinese tanks.  
  
"W-wait!" Ranma said shakily. He hit the button on his helmet. "Were just leaving him!?"  
  
Phillip's voice came over the line. "There is no way he could have survived Ranma, we'll collect his body after were finished clearing the lines."  
  
Phillip's voice was almost mechanical.  
  
Ranma looked back as the advancing Chinese tanks fired another volley at the retreating tanks. Ryoga's smoldering Piranha III was still sitting in the snow.  
  
"Fuck," Ranma said. He tossed off the tanker's helmet and climbed out of the hatch. He leapt off the M1 Abrams tank and hit the snow. He got to his feet and began running towards the incapacitated tank. The American tanks didn't seem to notice his departure, they kept going.  
  
The snow was thick and it was hard for Ranma to run through it. He was still at least two hundred yards from the Piranha III tank.  
  
For the first time, Ranma noticed that he was nearly running straight at the Chinese tanks. He heard the rattle of a .50 caliber machine gun and the sound of bullets whizzing by. Ranma decided that he would have to get by the Chinese tanks before he could go get Ryoga.  
  
One of the Chinese heavy tanks fired a HEAT round at Ranma. The round exploded harmlessly fifty feet to Ranma's left.  
  
Ranma jumped, rising nearly twenty meters in the air. He landed within ten feet of one of the Chinese halftracks. He had no idea how you were supposed to destroy a tank, so he just decided to take out the tracks on the tank.  
  
Ranma fired a ki blast at the tracks and he was amazed to see that the track snapped in the middle. Ranma jumped before he could be hit by the pieces of metal that had been knocked free from his ki blast.  
  
A Chinese tanker climbed from the now incapacitated Chinese tank and tried to train the .50 caliber machine gun on Ranma as he descended from his jump.  
  
Once Ranma had one foot on the ground he took off at a sprint. But not away from the Chinese soldier, he went straight for him.  
  
The tanker was able to fire two rounds before Ranma had kicked him twenty feet clear of the hatch.  
  
Ranma, still in the air after his kick, twisted and fired another ki blast at the long tube of the Chinese tank. It impacted the tube and bent the steel just slightly to the right.  
  
One of the Chinese tankers inside didn't notice that and loaded a Canister round into the turret and fired.  
  
The Canister round traveled about halfway up the tube before it reached the bent steel. The sudden stoppage caused the round to detonate.  
  
A Canister round is filled with tiny ball bearings, literally thousands of them, and they are designed to be shot out in as many different directions as possible.  
  
When the Canister round detonated, it sent shrapnel flying backwards into the Chinese tank. The shrapnel ripped through the tough metal that the halftrack was made of and killed all the troops inside.  
  
Ranma, seeing that he had stopped the last two tanks, turned and started running towards Ryoga's tank.  
  
He was within twenty feet of the tank when he first noted the smell of burning human flesh. Before his body could react, Ranma steeled himself and charged the last twenty feet.  
  
The heat was intense, but Ranma was moving on pure adrenaline. He punched a fist through the outer hull of the Piranha III and tore down, ripping the metal down and also creating a hole from which he could crawl through. Smoke and fire began pouring out through the hole. Ranma saw this and decided on a better option. He ran to the back of the tank and hit the quick-release switch and pulled down on the escape latch. The back of the Piranha III opened, and the fire and smoke immediately began seeping out the door.  
  
Ranma went back to the hole he had created and crawled inside. He burned his hands and arms as he came through the hole.  
  
The smoke was thick and dense, making it nearly impossible to see. Ranma tried standing up but he couldn't breath, he dropped down onto his stomach and began sliding along the floor of the tank. He relied on his touch as he maneuvered through the tank. After about a minute he touched a boot. He opened his eyes a little and could make out a body in the dense smoke.  
  
Ranma wasn't sure who it was but he knew that he was about to pass out. He grabbed the body in his arms and got to his feet. He sprinted out the emergency access door, flames licking his body.  
  
He collapsed on the snow outside and began coughing violently. Ranma's eyes burned and his hands were becoming numb.  
  
Once he was sure he had himself under control, Ranma tilted his head and looked at the body he had just pulled out.  
  
It was Ryoga.  
  
Tears formed in his eyes as he began to crawl over to where Ryoga's body lay. Ryoga wasn't moving and Ranma could not see any rise and fall of his chest.  
  
He placed a shaky hand on Ryoga's neck and held his breath.  
  
There was no pulse.  
  
Ranma began sobbing as he quickly got to his knees and began applying CPR to Ryoga. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he pushed down on Ryoga's chest. Ranma opened his mouth and gave Ryoga three breaths and watched his chest. It rose and fell, that was good. Ranma checked his pulse again but still got nothing. He began pushing down on Ryoga's chest again and gave him another three breaths.  
  
Ryoga started coughing and suddenly threw up. Ranma quickly turned him on his side, less Ryoga choke on his vomit. Once Ranma was sure he had stopped, he slowly let Ryoga go onto his back.  
  
Ranma wiped the tears from his face as he smiled at Ryoga.  
  
"Christ, am I dead?" Ryoga asked, his eyes still closed.  
  
Ranma laughed once. He slowly put a hand to Ryoga's face. Ryoga's eyes slowly opened and he looked at Ranma.  
  
"What are you crying about?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Ranma smiled at him and quickly bent down and kissed Ryoga on the cheek. Ryoga seemed neither surprised nor irritated by Ranma's actions.  
  
"I take it that I have once again escaped death," Ryoga said, smiling. There were burn marks all over his face, and his eyebrows had been scorched.  
  
"Actually you did have a little bit of help this time," Ranma said. "I pulled you out of the tank."  
  
Ryoga looked at Ranma for a second. Then his featured became grim.  
  
Ranma noticed that Ryoga was now looking behind him. He turned his head.  
  
Several Chinese soldiers were approaching them, guns held out facing both of them.  
  
"Shit," Ranma cursed. He turned and looked at Ryoga. "Looks like were in some big trouble now buddy."  
  
Ryoga smiled for a moment. "You better take off Ranma, go tell Phillip what happened."  
  
"Go to hell," Ranma said slowly. "I just risked my neck pulling your ass out of that tank and I'm not going to let you get carried off by the Chinese while you're still injured."  
  
Ryoga was about to reply but stopped when he noticed the Chinese were very close.  
  
"Do not move," one of the soldiers said in badly accented English.  
  
===============  
  
"Well where the fuck did he go!?" Parker demanded furiously.  
  
The lieutenant, the one that had been driving the M1 that Ranma had occupied, turned white faced.  
  
"I-I don't know sir," he replied. "I didn't even hear him leave."  
  
Parker looked at the lieutenant for a moment with a look of cold fury on his face. He collected his helmet off the ground and climbed up the side of his M1 Abrams tank. He went down through the hatch and started the ballast tanks. The tank roared to live.  
  
Colonel Parker ran the engines for a moment before pulling off back down the long trail that had served in stopping the advancing Chinese tanks. He didn't allow himself to think while he drove the tank through the snow ridden trail.  
  
After ten minutes he came up to the area where they had first encountered the Chinese tanks. He checked the area carefully before finally stopping twenty feet from the wreckage of the Piranha III tank.  
  
Parker climbed out of the tank and walked over to the Piranha III. He noticed the mark where the Chinese round must have hit it. He walked alongside it for a moment before noticing that there was another large hole in the hull of the tank. Taking a closer look, Parker could see the tracks of someone that led right up to the large hole. Someone had ripped the metal clear off the tank.  
  
A round fired from a tank that had enough explosive power to rip craters in the earth could not pierce the heavy armor of a M1 Abrams tank.  
  
If Parker had not known either Ranma or Ryoga, he would have to conclude that he had no idea what happened.  
  
Ranma had very obviously ripped the hole through the M1's hull to try and rescue Ryoga. Parker walked around the tank and saw that someone had hit the emergency escape door and opened it. He could see tracks and followed them to a small bank where it looked like two bodies had been dumped. There was blood by where one of the bodies had been dumped.  
  
He watched and saw that there were several other tracks that led up to this point. The footwear that had made the other marks was most definitely from a tanker.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga had been taken by the Chinese.  
  
===============  
  
Parker returned to the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion's base later that evening. He had attempted to locate the Chinese Tank Battalion but he had been unable to locate any sign of them.  
  
On arriving, he ordered all officers and enlisted men to report outside his tent.  
  
The troops gathered in front of Colonel Parker's tent, shivering as the cold wind nipped at them.  
  
Parker exited his tent with a grim expression on his face. He took a moment to look into the faces of each man.  
  
"Listen," he began, "I know that we took a beating today and your all tired, but I have to ask you if you will partake in one more mission."  
  
The men didn't react.  
  
"I'm sure you have all heard about the disappearance of Captain Ranma Saotome and Warrant Officer Ryoga Hibiki. I have just discovered that they have been captured by the Chinese. I gave the area an once-over, but I was unable to locate the Chinese forces. Now, I want all of you to understand that this is simply a volunteer mission, and that this is not authorized by command."  
  
"I must now ask that all men who wish not to volunteer for this mission to please return to whatever they were doing previous to my orders."  
  
Not a man moved.  
  
Colonel Parker waited until he was sure that the lump in his throat had gone away before he spoke.  
  
"You all can't go of course," he said. "You all can pitch your cases to the Duty Officer. I will not hear any objections about wanting to go from any soldier that wishes to go and has not been allowed."  
  
Parker looked at the troops once more before going back into his tent.  
  
===============  
  
Akari left school early that day, her mind clearly not being devoted to school, and arrived at the Tendo Dojo just as the mail had been delivered.  
  
"Ah," Soun said when he saw Akari coming up the front walk. "Hello dear, what brings you here?"  
  
That was when Akari realized that she had not even thought about where she had been heading. Instead of going to the house that she and the others shared, she had headed straight for the Tendo Dojo.  
  
"Oh, I was just feeling a little lonely," Akari said. She smiled at Soun and followed him into the house.  
  
"I'll go tell Kasumi get some tea," he said and ducked into the kitchen.  
  
Akari walked further down the hall and into the living room. She was a little surprised to see Dr. Tofu seated at the table.  
  
"Hello Akari," he greeted. "Is school out already?"  
  
"No," Akari said. "I just didn't have my mind on my studies, so I decided to go for a walk."  
  
"And just wound up here?" Tofu asked with a smile.  
  
Akari nodded and sat down, facing him.  
  
"Actually," she said, "Now that I think about it, I remember that there was something I wanted to ask you."  
  
"Oh?" Tofu asked.  
  
"Um, I have been throwing up for the past two days, and I'm quite sure that I haven't caught any kind of virus or anything."  
  
Tofu didn't reply, he just stared at her intently for a moment.  
  
"Do you think that something is wrong?" Akari asked.  
  
"Akari," Tofu began, "I'm going to have to ask you some very personal questions." He didn't wait for her to reply. "Have you and Ryoga had sex?"  
  
Akari blushed and averted her eyes from Tofu's. She nodded.  
  
"For about how long?"  
  
"A month," Akari said. "We first did it while we were in China."  
  
"Hmm," Tofu said, doing the math in his head. He seemed to reach a conclusion and looked at Akari. "I think I would like to have you come with me to my clinic so I can run a few tests."  
  
"Y-you don't think I'm pregnant do you?" Akari asked, shocked.  
  
"I'm not sure but I will have to be sure," Tofu replied and got to his feet. He offered his hand and helped Akari to her feet.  
  
===============  
  
Akari was uncomfortable inside of Tofu's clinic. She had been there before, but never under these circumstances.  
  
Once Tofu had collected her urine sample, he had handed her some pamphlets that described what would happen to her if she was indeed pregnant.  
  
Akari quickly decided that she couldn't be pregnant. She and Ryoga had only done it a few times. Surely the gods wouldn't be so cruel and make her pregnant before she had even graduated from high school.  
  
Akari idly wondered what Ryoga would think when he came back, if he came back.  
  
Akari had known that he, Ranma, and Ishii had gone to China with Phillip's troops, and there was a very real chance that Ryoga would be killed or wounded while he was over there.  
  
But what really bothered Akari was the sudden chill she had experienced the other day in the kitchen. She had literally felt as if someone had called her name, but not out loud. And the way it felt like her name had been called was if it had been in agony.  
  
Dr. Tofu entered the room before she could divulge any more into that train of thought.  
  
Oh my god, Akari thought, he looks sad.  
  
Tofu set a folder on the table that separated them and sat down in a chair opposite Akari.  
  
"Okay, first things first, I want to tell you that your test came back positive," Tofu said.  
  
One part of Akari's mind told her that couldn't be true, while the other part told her it was.  
  
Tofu went on.  
  
"Now, I want to explain some things to you. Teenage pregnancies are more common than you think. Many girls that do become pregnant before they graduate do end up graduating."  
  
"But what will people think?" Akari asked quietly. The thought of going to school, without having Ryoga by her side and having people think of her as some kind of slut was terrifying.  
  
"That is something that you will have to deal with," Tofu said, not unkindly. "There will always be people that will look to try and make people's lives miserable by criticizing them, all you can do is go out there every day and hold your head up high."  
  
"How far am I into the pregnancy?" Akari asked.  
  
"About four weeks," Tofu replied. He saw the surprised look on Akari's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"If I'm four weeks in, then that means I became pregnant the first time we did it," Akari said.  
  
Tofu smiled. "Well, that does happen sometimes, though I must admit that it doesn't happen very often."  
  
Akari put her head into her hands. She started to cry softly. Tofu got up from his chair and walked around the table.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Ryoga's in China and I miss him so much and now I have to deal with this," Akari sobbed. "I just miss him so much."  
  
Tofu bent down and wrapped his arms around Akari and hugged her.  
  
"He'll be okay," Tofu whispered softly into her ear. "Your not going to have to face this alone, were all going to help you through this."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma watched scornfully, as two Chinese tankers pushed Ryoga roughly to the ground.  
  
"Leave him alone!" he shouted when one of the tankers raised his foot to kick Ryoga in the ribs.  
  
His outcry earned him a savage hit to the head, delivered by the butt of a rifle belonging to one of the Chinese infantrymen.  
  
Once they had been captured, Ranma and Ryoga had received a beating. Several of the Chinese tankers were more than happy to show just how they felt about one of the enemy's troops that had been killing their comrades.  
  
Ranma was very worried about Ryoga. He was still injured from the fire in the Piranha III and the beating the Chinese had given him had only served to aggravate his injuries. He hadn't even talked to Ranma, the only communication he had done was to grunt with pain whenever their Chinese captors expressed their displeasure over how Ryoga was walking.  
  
The tankers had turned the two of them over to the Chinese infantry platoon that had been running with the tankers. The two platoons were now heading down from Shanghai and back down to the coast, where they would try and ambush any Allied troops that try and land.  
  
The infantrymen decided to take a break and tossed Ryoga over by where Ranma was sitting.  
  
"You alright man?" Ranma asked, carefully checking the wounds to Ryoga's body.  
  
Ryoga slowly turned over and looked at Ranma. "Christ Ranma, just run and leave me behind."  
  
Ranma shook his head. "I already told you Ryoga, I'm not leaving you behind. And I'm definitely not going to leave unless we leave together."  
  
Ryoga lay back down on his side. His breathing was low and wheezing, and he began coughing.  
  
Ranma watched worriedly as Ryoga coughed up blood and spit it out beside him. Ryoga slowly drifted into unconsciousness. Ranma knelt, once again removing the binds that the Chinese infantrymen had put on his wrists. He very carefully lifted Ryoga's shirt and began slowly checking over his body.  
  
Ranma could feel tightness in his own chest when he felt Ryoga's broken ribs. He sat back down and slowly started crying. If he was going to escape from his captures, he would need to carry Ryoga, and that would reduce their chances of escape to nearly zero.  
  
Ranma stopped the idea that maybe Phillip would send some troops to try and rescue them. It would be too much to hope for, Phillip coming to rescue them.  
  
He didn't stop the tears as they flowed from his eyes, and laid down beside Ryoga, very tenderly wrapping his arm around the unconscious boy.  
  
===============  
  
Phillip walked through the snow over to the WASP. He knocked twice on the side of it and waited until one of the lieutenants inside climbed out the hatch.  
  
"Were moving out in five minutes, you guys will be leading the column by five minutes so you're going to have to head out now. Remember where we designated the link-up point and meet us their in two hours. Report any enemy forces you encounter."  
  
The lieutenant saluted, a very casual salute and climbed back into the WASP.  
  
Parker walked back to his M1 Abrams. Ishii was waiting for him.  
  
"We'll be moving out soon," Parker told him. He saw the dismayed expression on Ishii's face. "Do you have a problem? Try and remember that if it wasn't for you those two would never have been captured!"  
  
Ishii shot Parker an angry look.  
  
"I am angry about how it is my fault for those two being captured. I can't simply brush it off as something that was decided by fate, it's my fault."  
  
Parker looked at Ishii for a moment before deciding that he was serious.  
  
"Come on, let's get going."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Well, silly me, I forgot that my wife also wrote the first few chapters of the Semper Fi volume. My apologies to her and my thanks go to her for her continued support in helping me with this story.  
  
Someone wrote me an e-mail asking me why I am letting the relationship between Ishii and Phillip go sour. I am not doing that, I am merely showing how the two are very stressed out from the combat they have been facing and the great amount of physical pressure they have been facing.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has read this far and a special thanks to everyone that has written a review. 


	34. Semper Fi Chapter 2 Fate

Semper Fi Chapter 2 Fate  
  
Top Secret  
  
Central Intelligence Agency  
  
Langley, Virginia  
  
From: Director of Central Intelligence  
  
Subject: The War in the Pacific (Presidential Memorandum #34)  
  
To: The President of the United States. Room 001. 1600 Pennsylvania Drive, Washington D.C.  
  
By Courier  
  
In compliance with the Presidential Memorandum to the Director, Subject, "The War in the Pacific" dated 8 November 1996, the following information is furnished:  
  
(1) (Reliability Scale Four) (From CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia) Director of Central Intelligence whole-heartedly agrees with the proclamation put forth by Director of Operations. Chinese leaders should be eliminated before war can escalate to nuclear level.  
  
(2) (Reliability Scale Five) (From CIA Beijing, China) The survivors of the wrecks Johnny Reb, Enterprise, and John Stennis, after being detained were taken south of Shanghai to an undisclosed location. Execution of POW's in immediate future is possible.  
  
Howard O' Connor  
  
Top Secret  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Phillip S. Parker IV was at the moment, very frightened. He was frightened because he was now faced with the prospect that the Chinese tank force had given up their prisoners to other Chinese divisions. If that would be the case, then Phillip would be forced to discontinue his search and rescue mission for the two Japanese civilians.  
  
Parker had been amazed when headquarters had not given him any beef over trying to rescue the two 'soldiers' from the enemy.  
  
"How much further until we end up in Shanghai?" Parker asked the radioman inside his tent.  
  
"I would have to say that about two days Colonel," the radioman replied, looking at some charts.  
  
"Shit," Phillip cursed. "Well, if we don't find them soon, then that means they have been dumped off to some infantry division and have been taken somewhere else."  
  
"You mean were going to call off the search?" the radioman asked, surprised.  
  
"What I mean is that I'm going to probably have to turn in my resignation after headquarters hears that I have moved so far into China that I'm about to enter Russia," Parker replied, irritated.  
  
Parker stepped out of his tent and walked the five feet to his M1 Abrams tank. He climbed inside and started the engines. He climbed back out and walked over to his XO.  
  
"We move out in five minutes," Parker told him and went back inside his tank.  
  
All around the camp the sound of tank and halftrack engines starting up lit the air.  
  
Parker put his helmet on and hit the switch that allowed him to talk to his other tankers. He flashed Ishii a thumbs-up.  
  
"Alright boys, lets move out!"  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga gently prodded Ranma awake.  
  
"I think were moving out," Ryoga whispered as Ranma sat up.  
  
Ranma looked about and saw that the Chinese infantrymen were loading up into jeeps.  
  
Two soldiers that were standing close to them walked over and roughly pulled Ranma to his feet. Then they picked Ryoga up. Ranma winced in sympathy as he heard Ryoga suck in a deep breath. His damaged ribs had rubbed against each other.  
  
Ranma, supporting Ryoga, walked over to one of the jeeps and sat down in the back. He laid Ryoga down on the bottom of the jeep.  
  
One soldier got into the back with them and another got in the front.  
  
"Where do you think were going?" Ranma asked Ryoga. When Ryoga didn't reply he looked down and saw that Ryoga was asleep.  
  
Ranma frowned and just watched as the other soldiers loaded up their stuff.  
  
The soldier sitting in the front started the jeep and pulled out onto a standard road.  
  
Ranma got down beside Ryoga, the wind was too cold for him to sit up top. He was surprised at how tired he felt, and soon drifted off to sleep.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma awoke with a start. He nearly slammed heads with the Chinese soldier in the back. He looked around and saw that they had driven to some kind of farm. There was a large barn house and the entire area seemed to be flooded with Chinese troops.  
  
The soldier in the back motioned for him to get out. Ranma complied and stepped out of the jeep. The Chinese soldier, acting more tenderly than Ranma would have expected, lifted Ryoga from the back of the jeep and passed him off to Ranma. He then motioned for Ranma to follow him.  
  
He led Ranma to the barn house and opened a small door located on the side and motioned for him to get inside.  
  
Ranma did so, and was taken aback by the sight he saw.  
  
Inside the barn was over a hundred men. Americans, soldiers, it seemed.  
  
Ranma absentmindedly walked in and let his eyes wander over the men. He set Ryoga down on the ground and slowly sat down. A small part of his mind told him that these must be the soldiers that had survived the wrecks of the Johnny Reb, Enterprise, and John Stennis. They had at least a month worth growth of beard on their faces. They appeared malnourished and just starting to turn cadaverous.  
  
The sailor Ranma sat next to slowly turned his head and looked at Ranma. He seemed a little surprised seeing him.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" the sailor asked. His clothes were ripped and Ranma could just make out the name on his clothes. Frank something.  
  
"I was captured week last," Ranma told Frank in poor English.  
  
"Last week?" Frank asked him.  
  
Ranma nodded. "I with Phillip Sheridan Parker." He pointed to the insignia of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion that was displayed on his chest.  
  
The man's eyes lit up. He raised his voice.  
  
"Hey, this guys from that Task Force!"  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then all the soldiers crowded around Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"How's the war going?" one sailor asked.  
  
"Has Taiwan fallen yet?"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "The Chinese forces have been beaten in Taiwan."  
  
There was a resounding cheer from the sailors. Ranma was astonished to see the change that came over the men. They cheered and slapped hands with each other, their faces a mask of pure nostalgia.  
  
"So how did you get captured?" Frank asked.  
  
Ranma looked at him for a moment and replied, in Japanese.  
  
"The 82nd is now in China and we were attacking the enemy when my friend's tank was hit and I left mine to go get him."  
  
Most of the sailors thought they had heard Ranma wrong. This guy was wearing the insignia of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion, part of the Task Force that had been raping the Chinese forces in Taiwan, and here he was speaking Japanese.  
  
Frank nodded his head in understanding. He as well replied in Japanese.  
  
"Than does that mean you are really American tank officers?"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "No, we are good friends with the commander and we needed to get into China."  
  
Frank nodded. He turned to the gathered men.  
  
"These guys were captured while mounting operations in China," he told the assembled men. "There coming to take us home!"  
  
There was another resounding cheer from the men.  
  
Ranma decided that the moment was not right to tell them that he had heard nothing about any operations trying to rescue the POW's.  
  
===============  
  
The President of the United States opened the door to his National Security Advisor's office and stepped inside.  
  
He smiled at his NSA and took a seat in front of the man's desk.  
  
"Well, I just got out of a meeting with the chief's of staff," he told his NSA.  
  
"Yes Mr. President, has anything been decided?"  
  
"I gave the go-ahead for the plan to take out the Politburo," the President said, sadly.  
  
The NSA didn't reply.  
  
"Do you think I did the right thing?" the President asked suddenly.  
  
The NSA took a moment to reply. "Mr. President, the decision to go to war is never an easy thing to do. But the Chinese did make that decision, and they invaded Taiwan. They then attacked with no provocation, an American aircraft carrier group and took most of the survivors as POW's. The Politburo has committed their country to a war that has all the indications of becoming a nuclear war and I would have to think that those men would not hesitate the least bit to launch a nuclear device at us. You will remember that their nuclear sub was in the first attack on the American ships."  
  
The President looked at his NSA for a long moment.  
  
"The plan calls for eight bomber aircraft to drop a bomb into the homes of each member of the Politburo at night. I told the generals to make sure that there is not another living sole in those buildings when the bombs are dropped."  
  
"That was the right thing to do Mr. President," the NSA said. "I'm not sure how the American people will respond to this course of action, but it will make it easier to swallow if no civilians were hurt.  
  
The President nodded once and got up and left.  
  
===============  
  
Colonel Parker nearly fell out of his seat when his M1 Abrams tank crashed over a fallen tree. He swore as he desperately tried to keep his tank on course.  
  
Parker had unceremoniously dubbed the operation to retrieve the two Japanese civilians, Task Force Sushi. The small amount of humor in the otherwise saddening situation. He had decided to take five Piranha III, seven transport vehicles with the Task Force and one or two surveillance vehicles, not including his own M1 Abrams.  
  
Parker slowed his tank and took a look at the terrain.  
  
They had moved quickly during the night and were about seventy miles outside of Shanghai. Parker knew that if he couldn't find Ranma or Ryoga before they got within ten miles of Shanghai, they would have to turn back. Parker wouldn't allow himself to think about what he would say to their families, much less Akari and Akane.  
  
"We've got movement up ahead," a voice came over the radio. Parker recognized the voice as Captain Hearst.  
  
"What do you see Hearst?" Parker asked.  
  
"I think it may be an infantry division sir," Hearst replied. "They don't appear to have seen us yet."  
  
"Good, wait there where you until I catch up."  
  
Parker found Hearst's Piranha III sitting, running idle, under some dense foliage. He stopped his tank and climbed out. He motioned for Hearst to do the same and waited until he climbed out of his tank.  
  
"There just over that ridge sir," Hearst said, handing Parker a pair of 50 x 50 binoculars.  
  
Parker placed the binoculars to his eyes. He trained them on the spot Hearst had mentioned. He saw three Chinese soldiers standing on top of the ridge, looking down at the valley below.  
  
Parker quickly assessed the situation. They could easily hit the Chinese soldiers on the ridge from where they were, but that would mean alerting whatever other forces were with them, and that would cause a whole lot more fighting than Parker wanted to deal with.  
  
He turned to Hearst. "Alright, you come with me and were going to try and get us a prisoner."  
  
Captain Hearst raised his eyebrow but did not respond.  
  
Parker got back inside his tank and quickly radioed the other soldiers. He explained what they were doing and told them that if he did not call back in fifty minutes that they were to search and locate a small Chinese platoon and try and get a prisoner.  
  
He grabbed his M4 automatic rifle and hopped down from his tank. Captain Hearst had only a small Colt automatic pistol.  
  
"Alright Captain, follow my lead," Parker told him.  
  
===============  
  
Snow had been collecting in the small valley for almost two months with the continuous snowfall that had been hitting the coast of China. The snow reached almost five feet in depth, making it near impossible to cross.  
  
Unfortunately for Colonel Parker and Captain Hearst, this realization did not occur to them until they were shoulder deep in snow.  
  
"I think when I get home I'm going to move to Florida," Parker said as he struggled through the snow, careful to keep his weapon above him.  
  
"Actually, I was thinking of proposing the idea of sending snow blowers with troops that are going to be heading for snow covered areas." Captain Hearst said.  
  
Parker chuckled a little.  
  
Five minutes later they had finally reached the ridge where they had spotted the Chinese soldiers. Very carefully, Parker and Hearst climbed up the ridge. It was sloped and had not been covered in snow or ice.  
  
They reached the top and quickly scanned the area. Seeing nothing, they moved out into the trees, following the tracks made by the Chinese soldiers.  
  
There were only four sets of tracks in the snow, which meant that either the soldiers were point men, or that they were pathfinders. Parker hoped that they were pathfinders, because that would mean the main force would be to far back to hear any shots.  
  
The trees were very thick, disallowing any sunlight to pass through them, which made following the tracks next to impossible.  
  
Parker motioned for Hearst to stop, they spoke in whispers.  
  
"I've lost all sign of their tracks," Hearst whispered.  
  
"Do you think we should turn back then?" Parker asked.  
  
Hearst shook his head. "Let's go a little further and see if we might pick up their tracks again."  
  
Parker nodded and continued.  
  
They had walked for another two minutes before they caught sight of the tracks again.  
  
Just when Parker was about to call to Hearst, he heard voices up ahead. He took off at a sprint, traveling with the stealth born from many years as a Green Beret.  
  
He went for about fifty meters before he ran right into another person.  
  
Both men were startled, but Parker had been prepared for battle. As he fell backwards he trained the M4 at the man's chest and fired a quick burst.  
  
As Parker hit the ground he heard some hushed voices and then the sound of a name being called. Parker realized that they were calling the soldier he had just killed.  
  
He slowly got to his feet and crouched down low. The snow crunched under his feet and he heard the sound of someone approaching from behind. Parker spun and lost his footing.  
  
It was Hearst; he looked at Parker strangely for a moment before crouching down.  
  
"Looks like you found them," Hearst said.  
  
Parker nodded. "Let's circle around and get rid of the others, I want to make sure we leave at least one man alive."  
  
Hearst nodded and turned to his right, slowly moving around the Chinese soldier's positions.  
  
Parker sprinted for cover behind a tree. He peeked his head around and saw three soldiers. They were all lying down low with their weapons held up ready for anyone that might try and rush in. Parker saw Hearst directly across from him; he made a silent gesture towards the man in the middle of the soldiers. Hearst nodded; they would not kill that man.  
  
Parker brought his crosshairs over the soldier that was closest to him; he fired once, hitting the soldier in the head.  
  
Hearst fired at almost the exact time, hitting the soldier closest to him.  
  
The soldier in the middle turned to his right and saw Parker. He was frightened and was about to shoot. Before he could, two rounds slammed into his rifle, snapping it out of his hands.  
  
The soldier spun to his left and saw Hearst, his gun just lowering back down, approaching.  
  
The Chinese man visibly thought about running but decided against it, he jumped to his feet and charged at Parker. He attempted to tackle him, but Parker side-stepped him and tripped him as he ran by.  
  
Parker jumped on the man before he had a chance to get up. He turned his head to Hearst.  
  
"Get me some rope or something!" Parker ordered.  
  
Hearst approached a length of twine in his hands. He quickly tied the Chinese soldier's wrists.  
  
"Be silent!" Hearst snapped in Chinese as the man began to shout. The soldiers surprise over Hearst knowing Chinese stopped him from speaking.  
  
"You speak Chinese Hearst?" Parker asked as he got off of the soldier. He reached down and hoisted the soldier to his feet.  
  
"Yes sir," Hearst replied.  
  
"Ask him if he knows about two Japanese American officers that were captured during the assault against Bulai."  
  
Captain Hearst asked the soldier and received spit in his face.  
  
Parker grabbed the Chinese soldier and rammed him roughly against a tree. He gripped the soldier's head and held it tightly between his massive hands.  
  
"Answer his goddamned question!" Parker yelled at the man's face, spittle hitting him.  
  
The Chinese soldier was white-faced. He stammered out a quick reply and looked back at Parker with fear in his eyes.  
  
Hearst looked at Parker. "He says that there were two Asian American soldiers that they had taken to their division headquarters. After that this guy says he doesn't know what happened to them."  
  
Parker nodded. "Ask him if he knows where they were left."  
  
Hearst barked out the question.  
  
The soldier looked like he wasn't going to respond. When Parker noticed this, he raised his fist threateningly.  
  
After the Chinese soldier stammered out another reply Hearst translated. "The division's headquarters are just ten miles north of here. But he says that they may have moved our Japanese friends further north to a temporary farmhouse that has been set up as the headquarters for his platoon."  
  
"We should check out this place just ten miles away first," Parker said. "If there not there, then we know where they are then."  
  
Hearst nodded his head towards their prisoner. "What do we do with him?"  
  
"I don't want to waste any more rounds today; we can hand him over to the reconnaissance people and let them take him back to our headquarters."  
  
Hearst nodded and relieved Parker of his burden.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma lightly dabbed at Ryoga's burns with a dampened towel.  
  
The day marked their seventh day as POW's. Ranma wasn't sure what would kill him first, the Chinese, or the cold. The American sailors had proven to be quite resourceful in keeping their hunger under control. Despite the incredibly small amount of ration's they received each day, the American sailors had succeeded in building up a large supply of food, and were also successful in keeping their food hidden from their captors.  
  
Ryoga had been in and out of consciousness the whole time. Every time he woke up, Ranma would be instantly by his side and rendering whatever assistance he could. Ranma was becoming very exhausted from this, for it sometimes meant staying awake for more than twenty-four hours at a time to make sure Ryoga was going to make it through another night.  
  
The sailor that had first talked to Ranma when they arrived announced that he had been aboard the Enterprise when the Chinese attacked. He had swam to the surface with twenty other men and was met by a Chinese carrier. They had been taken prisoner and held for almost two months before moving to the farmhouse.  
  
He also told them his name. He was Frank West, a medic aboard the Enterprise.  
  
Ranma did not tell Frank about the unusual circumstances that would occur if the water used to clean Ryoga's wounds happened to be cold.  
  
On their eighth day as POW's, the inevitable happened.  
  
The large doors to the barn house had been opened and the POW's had been led outside into the snow.  
  
Over a hundred Chinese soldiers were waiting for them, guns held up, in case anyone thought of running. The POW's were lined up against the wall and two soldiers began counting them off.  
  
Ranma was carrying Ryoga, he was unconscious again. The soldier counted him off and almost continued on before he noticed Ryoga. He counted Ryoga as the next man down the line and continued on.  
  
Once all the men had been counted off, the two soldiers walked over to a man that they presumed was the commander of the infantrymen. The commander looked at the men on the wall and nodded his head, agreeing with whatever the two soldiers had told him.  
  
The POW's were to be split in two. Ranma was standing dead center in the line. One of the Chinese began leading the first groups away when he noticed Ranma carrying Ryoga. He ran down the line and shouted at Ranma. Ranma didn't understand what he was saying.  
  
The soldier tried to forcefully take Ryoga away from Ranma and earned a vicious kick to the head for his troubles.  
  
There was an absolute stunned silence in the camp as the soldier hit the snow.  
  
Three soldiers, their weapons drawn, charged at Ranma and held the guns at dead level with his chest. One soldier slowly walked over and removed Ryoga from Ranma's arms.  
  
Ranma was about to attempt to knock the man down and take Ryoga back when he felt pressure on the back of his head. One of the soldier's had placed the muzzle of his rifle against Ranma's head.  
  
The soldier with Ryoga walked over to where the other groups of POW's were and handed him off to one of the POW's.  
  
"Where are they taking them?" Ranma asked the soldier in front of him. He didn't get his response.  
  
He didn't need to.  
  
The sound of many assault rifles firing sounded. Ranma spun around and saw that the Chinese soldiers had led the POW's around the barn and once they were out of view, began firing.  
  
"What the fuck!?" Ranma shouted and began running in the direction the men had been led off to.  
  
A nearby soldier attempted to get in Ranma's way. The soldier was just about to raise his gun when he felt his gun leave his hands and a fist firmly plant itself in his face.  
  
Ranma checked to make sure the gun was loaded and chambered a round. He set the gun to full-auto and continued running. The Chinese soldiers behind him began firing at him but Ranma was already too far ahead. Ranma rounded the corner of the barn just when the screaming of the POW's stopped.  
  
It took Ranma a moment to register the scene before him.  
  
The bodies of the POW's were sprawled out on the snow before the barn wall. The snow was now a mix between white and red.  
  
Ranma felt his mind lock. He didn't even think as he brought the assault rifle up to his shoulder and begin to fire.  
  
He hit the closet two Chinese soldiers and trained the gun on the two soldiers that had begun firing at the POW's. He fired again and this time only one of the men fell.  
  
Ranma could feel bullets begin to whiz by him and a small part of his mind registered the thought that he should move. But his body wasn't responding. It was as if he was on auto-pilot. He just kept picking targets and firing.  
  
Once the soldiers before him were all hit, Ranma spun around and began to pick out targets before him.  
  
Before he could get a shot off, he felt something strike his knee. His leg snapped out uncomfortably underneath him and he almost lost his balance. He fired off two more rounds before he was hit again.  
  
Ranma hit the ground and everything went black.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Now, I want to take this moment to talk about the other story that has been released. The Sound of War was just an idea that I had been working on before I even began working on Balance of Power. Obviously I decided to not continue that story. I might write a story like that someday, involving the Ranma ½ cast in the World War II type of time frame, but not today.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has been reading this far and a special thanks to everyone that has written a review. 


	35. Semper Fi Chapter 3 Rescue

Semper Fi Chapter 3 Rescue  
  
"I don't see anything," Colonel Parker said as he surveyed the area from his M1 Abrams tank.  
  
"We've got some campfires that look to have been put out maybe a week ago, but that's about all we got," Captain Hearst said as he checked out the area in his Piranha III.  
  
The rest of the Task Force reported in, they saw no indication that anyone was still using the area.  
  
Parker swore and picked up the radio in his tank.  
  
"This is Pericles Six."  
  
The voice on the other end came on immediately.  
  
"Go ahead Six."  
  
"We have a negative on any signs of life here; we'll look for about ten more minutes before heading out."  
  
"Roger Six, god speed."  
  
Parker set the radio down and turned to look at the other occupant of the M1.  
  
He patted Ishii on the shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry Ishii, we'll find them."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma didn't know how, but he could tell that he was inside.  
  
He slowly opened his eyes, revealing the dark ceiling of some building. He realized that his head was being held by something and he couldn't move. There was a dull ache in his chest, but it did not hurt.  
  
Ranma's left leg felt numb, almost as if he had fallen asleep on it.  
  
He moved his eyes to the left and caught the sight of a man standing over something, crying.  
  
Wherever Ranma was, it smelt like horse shit.  
  
Someone stuck their head right in front of his. It took Ranma a moment to recognize it, the face belonged to Frank, the medic he had met the first day he had arrived at the POW camp.  
  
Something kept nagging at Ranma's mind, almost as if he was forgetting something important. There was a flash before his eyes and he drifted back into unconsciousness.  
  
===============  
  
It seemed that he had just closed his eyes when he opened them again.  
  
Ranma raised his head and found that it was no longer restrained. He tried to sit up, but only succeeded in having a sharp pain shoot through his body.  
  
Someone was instantly by his side and offering their help.  
  
Ranma was slowly lowered back down and he was offered a drink. He realized that he was incredibly thirsty. He had trouble getting the first sip down, but after that he was able to drink the whole amount that was offered to him.  
  
Frank appeared in Ranma's sight and walked over. He knelt down beside him and smiled. The smile was one of exhaustion.  
  
"How's it going?" Frank asked.  
  
Ranma didn't respond right away. He waited until the pain in his head went away.  
  
"Great, what happened?" Ranma asked, trying to quell the pain that was throbbing inside his head.  
  
Frank looked at Ranma for a moment before replying.  
  
"You mean you don't remember?"  
  
Ranma lightly shook his head. The ringing inside his head didn't cease.  
  
Frank's face changed to one of sadness. "They shot half of the POW's, including Ryoga."  
  
At the mention of Ryoga's name, Ranma nearly jumped to his feet. Tears formed in his eyes as he stood with the support of a nearby support beam. He felt blood flowing down his chest and leg.  
  
"Ah shit," Frank cursed. "You ripped your goddamned stitches."  
  
Ranma wasn't listening to him; all he could think of was the memory of Ryoga being carried around the corner, and then the sound of the Chinese firing at the POW's.  
  
Ranma sobbed as he sunk down to the floor. "Ryoga's dead?"  
  
Frank's face twisted to one of rage. "I didn't see him. The Chinese made us bury the others in the horse manure out back."  
  
"What?" Ranma asked in disbelief.  
  
"We asked if we could give them a proper burial and they responded by telling us to bury them in the horse shit around the barn."  
  
Ranma felt his heart throb. His tears stopped and his breathing returned to normal. He raised his head and got to his feet, there was an almost insane glint in his eye.  
  
This did not escape the notice of Frank, who attempted to take Ranma and place him back on the ground. He missed; Ranma had practically slipped right through his arms.  
  
Ranma immediately decided to go and take the gun away from the commander of this POW camp and shoot him in the head. Then he would kill the rest of the soldiers using a Shi Shi Hokodan blast.  
  
He wasn't able to carry out his mission, because before he could even reach the door, he collapsed, the pain from his wounds finally reaching him.  
  
"D-dammit," Ranma said as he felt the blood pour out of his wounds.  
  
Frank ran to his side with some other men, he very quickly slapped a compress on Ranma's leg and chest. He ordered the other sailors to keep his wounds clean, and to wipe away any excess blood.  
  
Frank immediately set out trying to stitch Ranma's wounds up.  
  
Ranma could feel every movement his body made and the wave of pain that occurred when it did. Just as Frank's pin made its first swoop through his flesh, Ranma passed out from the pain.  
  
===============  
  
"Alright boys were one mile out," Parker said into the radio. "Let's lock and load."  
  
Parker raced his M1 Abrams tank to its limits. He crashed through the shrubbery and made a straight run for the Chinese infantry encampments.  
  
Ishii, riding in the back of Parker's M1, loaded a Canister round into the turret and fired it at the barracks set up for the infantrymen.  
  
"There here Ishii," Parker called back as he did a last minute turn to avoid a few mines.  
  
Ishii didn't reply.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma slowly awoke as he heard the explosions. He opened his eyes and saw the American POW's were backing away from the doors of the barn house. Frank bent over and picked him up, carrying him a good distance away from the direction of the barn house facing the explosions.  
  
Ranma heard, he didn't believe he did at first, what sounded like The Saints Go Marching In, being played over a speaker system.  
  
The Saints Go Marching In is the song that would be played by American cavalrymen when they would go riding down the battlefield in victory. Obviously some soldier had decided to change the way it was played and had adopted the use of a tank's radio system to play it.  
  
There followed the sound of a tank running alongside the barn. The tank stopped outside of the big bay doors of the barn and rammed through them. The doors fell forward and impacted the ground, making dust and dirt rise up.  
  
Ranma stiffly got to his feet and saw a very large, very black man standing in the entrance to the barn. He took one look around the barn before letting his eyes fall on Ranma. In obvious disregard to military order, the large black colonel ran towards Ranma with tears running down his cheeks. He enveloped Ranma in a hug and sobbed a few times.  
  
===============  
  
The POW's were led outside, into the bright afternoon sun. The Chinese soldiers that had not been killed had been lined up on the ground. One of the POW's, Frank West, charged towards the Chinese infantry commander, his fists clenched in an obvious signal for bodily harm. One of the tanker's from the 82nd stood in front of him and grabbed him in a bear hug, not allowing him to get by.  
  
A medic that had been brought along with the 82nd checked out Ranma's wounds and the stitches that Frank West had put in and judged them to be in good working order.  
  
As Colonel Parker asked Captain Saotome where Warrant Officer Hibiki was, the sound of mortars lit up the air.  
  
An American halftrack was hit by the incoming mortars and destroyed.  
  
Colonel Parker, sensing that they were about to be overrun, ordered the loading of the POW's into the other tanks and for everyone to haul ass out of the area. The Chinese soldiers were ordered to be loaded up and everyone that couldn't fit in to be rendered unconscious.  
  
The tanks and halftracks from the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion escaped from the area without any casualties.  
  
Colonel Parker ordered the 82nd to continue on its way until they reached the home base of the American Armor Battalion.  
  
Inside Colonel Parker's M1 Abrams, the soldier in the back was embracing one of the men that had just been rescued by the Task Force.  
  
"Goddamn I'm glad to see you Ranma," Ishii said as he released Ranma from the hug.  
  
Ranma nodded his head slowly, his eyes showing no joy over seeing his friends again. Ishii looked back at Parker for help but only received a shrug of the shoulders.  
  
Ishii decided to leave Ranma alone for the time being and concentrated on looking for targets.  
  
Ranma didn't even hear the sounds of the explosions as round after round was fired between the enemies.  
  
===============  
  
Major Ryan Ward had been in the United States Air Force since he was eighteen. He was a lean, athletically built man in his thirties. His features were sharp and he had very large blue eyes, which sometimes turned icy cold when he was annoyed.  
  
His eyes were icy cold as he watched one of the maintenance crewman work on his B-2 Spirit bomber aircraft. Early that morning he had decided to get some more flight time in the aircraft and had set out to find his bird, but when he entered the hanger where he had left it, he found an F- 16CJ sitting where he had left his aircraft. He went around the hanger and found his Spirit sitting outside. The cold weather had gotten to it and it failed to start.  
  
He had gone to the duty officer's quarters and banged on the man's door until the duty officer came to answer it. After a much thought out ass- chewing, the duty officer called up some maintenance crewman and set them out right away to work on Ward's B-2 Spirit.  
  
Major Ward had been one kill away from becoming an ace during the Gulf War. He had more kills than any other man in his squadron.  
  
He was now stationed in Pearl Harbor, doing dry runs and running classes for most of the year.  
  
He had been called into the Post Commander's office two days earlier. When he had arrived, the Post Commander had given him a large envelope that had been marked, 'Top Secret, Presidential'.  
  
Contained within the envelope had been a new set of orders. He was to be checked out in the B-2 Spirit as quickly as possible and report back.  
  
He had already been familiar with the B-2 Spirit, as he had flown one once during the Gulf War. Regarding that, he had been given a check flight the next day and passed it. When the Post Commander had reported back that Ward had passed his check flight, he had received a response immediately.  
  
Major Ryan Ward was to report to the U.S.S. Nimitz in one week's time.  
  
Ward was surprised. The Nimitz was operating in the Pacific War and he had already tried to get transferred over there and been turned down.  
  
He had decided that the higher-ups had realized that he could be of use in the war and were granting his wishes. Ward had spent the next few days getting as many hours in the B-2 Spirit as possible.  
  
The maintenance crewman announced they were finished and packed up their tools. Just as Ward was climbing into the cockpit, he heard an announcement come over the base intercom system.  
  
*Major Ward, please report to the Post Commander's office as soon as possible.*  
  
Ward swore colorfully and climbed down from the cockpit and walked the short distance to the commander's office.  
  
Ward was a little surprised when he saw two other men sitting in the commander's office. One of the men was a large black man in a superbly tailored suit, his body was quite well-toned, making the man appear at least five years younger than he actually was. The other man was not as impressive as the first one, he was wearing the sort of suit you would expect on a bureaucrat and his body was average.  
  
"Good afternoon," Ward greeted. He did not take a seat.  
  
"Sorry to get you away from whatever you were doing Major," the black man said. "But we needed to see you right away."  
  
"That's alright, I was just going to get some more time in one of the bombers out back."  
  
"The B-2 Spirit?" the man in the bureaucrat suit asked.  
  
Ward was not surprised that these men knew that. He nodded his head.  
  
"Well, the reasons were here is to inform you that you will be getting a ride over to the carrier Nimitz tomorrow at 0500 hours. Will there be any problem with you getting to the base at that time?" the black man asked.  
  
"No, I can be there earlier if you like."  
  
The black man laughed. "Just be there at 0500 hours Major."  
  
===============  
  
The following morning Major Ward arrived at the base and was greeted by the impressive black man from the other day. After they shook hands, Ward was given a folder.  
  
He looked at it questionably and then looked at the black man.  
  
"When you get to the Nimitz, give these to the admiral, they'll help inform everyone of what you're going to be doing."  
  
The black man said a quick goodbye and made his exit.  
  
Ward went down to the airstrip and found his B-2 Spirit sitting in the runway. There were two men standing by the step ladder with flight suits and helmets on.  
  
They greeted Major Ward with a nod of the head and got into the aircraft. They told Ward that he should probably just conk out in the back for awhile. He accepted and found that a sleeping cot had been placed in one of the storage spaces.  
  
===============  
  
A TWX was sent to the American military headquarters in Taiwan as soon as possible.  
  
The 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion recovered fifty navy POW's early yesterday morning. Report says that fifty POW's, including one Japanese civilian were killed one day before rescue of the American sailors occurred.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: So ends the second last chapter of Balance of Power. The Final chapter, titled "The End of a War" should be released in about two weeks. How that last chapter is accepted will determine if a sequel will be written for the story or not. An epilogue will shortly follow the final chapter.  
  
This said, I would very much like it if everyone that reads the final chapter gave me their thoughts in the form of a review. It would be greatly appreciated.  
  
The final chapter will be of great length, rivaling the first chapter I posted. I hope you all will enjoy it.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has read the story this far, and a special thanks to everyone that has written a review. 


	36. The End of a War

Semper Fi Chapter 4 The End of a War  
  
The Politburo holds meetings at regular intervals. When there is nothing to discuss other than how their days went, they would probably wait at least a week or so before holding a meeting. But if there was a national emergency, such as a war, they would hold meetings every day, usually running hours in length.  
  
Ever since China had pulled out of Taiwan, the Politburo had been holding meetings at least twice a day.  
  
The news on the Chinese defeat was being contained by the media. Every television and radio station was monitored for any kind of activity that could leak the news to the greater population. This was something that they could control.  
  
What they couldn't control was how the public viewed the war.  
  
The Chinese government had originally stated that Taiwan had attempted to send soldiers onto Chinese soil, thinking that China had been the nation that arranged for the assassination attempt on their leader.  
  
The citizens of China had lived through a lot of events in their lifetime. Some of them had even lived through World War II and the Korean War. Those who had lived through the Korean War still had the memories of what the Americans did to them, and they certainly did not wish to go to war with them again.  
  
At the first stages of the war, Chinese protestors had appeared, in such masses that hadn't been seen since the Tiananmen Square incident. The Politburo had sent soldiers and policemen armed with tear gas and rubber bullets to deal with the crowd. There had been no other protest.  
  
The head of the PLA, Wei Liang, had decided that the best way to solve the problem they had encountered when first invading Taiwan was that they had not used enough man force. This decided, he sent out orders stating that the number of people being conscripted be tripled.  
  
The Secretary of Defense, Mai Zhisheng, ordered that half of the men conscripted to be put into the defense of the country from American forces that had already begun operations on the shores of China, even almost reaching Shanghai.  
  
The great powers in China were preparing to put out a second front, another attack against Taiwan, and this time they would be sending enough troops to cover every single square foot of land.  
  
===============  
  
But the United States of America had its own plan being set in motion.  
  
The planes needed to deliver the bombs that would end the lives of all the members of the Politburo were now located on the aircraft carrier Nimitz. The pilots were en route to the Nimitz.  
  
The International team of soldiers that would be attacking China's nuclear warheads had already finished forming. One team from Canada's Strike team, one team of Green Berets from the United States, one team of Russian Spetznaz soldiers, and one team of British SAS troops were inside Russia, ready for the helicopter ride that would inevitably take them to the Chinese nuclear warhead municipality's area.  
  
It was now a race between which side of the war could put their troops on the ground the fastest.  
  
If America were able to assassinate the Politburo, and eliminate China's nuclear capabilities, they would be able to rock the enemy on their heels and go in for the killing blow.  
  
But if China were able to send its massive troop force back into Taiwan, there could not be any opposition to such great numbers. Taiwan would fall and China would have control over the Pacific.  
  
===============  
  
The mission of the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion had been completed. The defense China had put up along its own borders had proved inadequate to defend against American troops. The roads were now open for a far greater number of attacks against the Chinese then had previously been possible.  
  
There had been no victory party for the troops though. The news of the murdered POW's had sent a very somber mood throughout the battalion.  
  
The commander of the 82nd, Colonel Parker, had been denied in his request to retrieve the bodies of the POW's that had died while in captivity.  
  
On 3 December, the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion left Chinese soil and sailed back to the United States.  
  
===============  
  
The outskirts of Shanghai had been made into the headquarters for Chinese infantry troops returning from the front line. Nearby houses had been turned into field hospitals and the fields were now littered with graves of fallen soldiers.  
  
A small infantry platoon that had been in charge of the POW's the Chinese had captured from the first attack against the Americans arrived at the infantry headquarters early in the morning of November 30. They had been brought in by an infantry division that had gone out to check the prison out when reports of heavy explosions had been heard.  
  
The infantry platoon had brought with them seventeen extra bodies then had previously been expected. The extra men had quickly been placed within a field hospital. Most of the men were suffering from gunshot wounds to the arms and legs. One soldier in particular had some burns over his body as well as a gunshot wound to his leg. There were scars on his chest, indicating that he had received another bullet wound awhile back.  
  
The seventeen extra soldiers were the only surviving POW's the infantry platoon had. The commander of the infantry platoon explained to the commander of the base that once the Americans had started coming in, he had ordered the execution of half the POW's. The seventeen men they had brought with them had survived the attempted execution.  
  
The commander of the base decided to give the seventeen surviving POW's the highest priorities of all medical orderlies on the base.  
  
Once the situation had been explained to all the doctors and nurses, the commander of the temporary base headquarters contacted the head of the PLA.  
  
Wei Liang, after hearing the story of the POW's, ordered the base commander to immediately turn over the POW's once they were capable of being moved. The base commander asked Wei Liang if he was going to announce the survival of the seventeen POW's, and received a reprimand for his troubles.  
  
The base commander explained that sixteen of the soldiers could be moved out of the area today, but the one soldier with the burns and the gunshot wound would have to stay on the base for at least two more days.  
  
Wei Liang asked for the names of all seventeen POW's and received sixteen. When he asked what the last one's name was, the base commander replied that the soldier had no identification on him; even the name patch on his tunic had been removed. The POW had no dog tags on him either.  
  
===============  
  
Major Ryan Ward watched skeptically as the plans for the bombing of the Politburo was shown to him and the seventeen other pilots.  
  
The plan outlined the exact route each bomber would need to take to arrive at the location of their assigned target. Dedicated SAM sights were located along the coast that they would enter from, making for a very hairy entrance into China and an even hairier exit.  
  
Major Ward and a Lieutenant Colonel Matthews were assigned the target of the Defense Minister, Mai Zhisheng.  
  
The B-2 Spirit bomber would be the aircraft of choice for the mission, the aircraft's unique design and its stealth capability was more than enough to edge it out ahead of the other bomber aircraft that were available to them.  
  
The operation had been dubbed Operation Monte Cristo, making reference to the name of an attempt to rescue American POW's during the Vietnam War.  
  
The pilots learned of the other half of the operation, involving the international Special Forces teams and the plan to attack China's nuclear warhead facility. The pilots and other people involved with the latter half of Monte Cristo were all agreed upon the fact that the Special Forces teams would be doing something infinitely more dangerous than what Major Ward and the other pilots were doing, for if they screwed up, it could mean the start of a nuclear war.  
  
It would take two days for Nimitz to make the trek across the sea towards China and get close enough for the bombers to depart and also make it back.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma had asked that he be sent back to Japan as soon as possible. A small Sikorsky helicopter was commandeered and Ranma had been flown back to Japan, arriving at a small airstrip in Hokkaido. He was then flown into Tokyo by a civilian airliner.  
  
Ranma did not call ahead to the Dojo or their home, nor did he allow Phillip or Ishii to release anything on his return. He decided to simply walk from the airport to the Tendo Dojo, declining Ishii's offer for a ride. Ishii said he would be back in a couple of days. Ranma didn't blame Ishii for not wanting to be in Tokyo when news of Ryoga's passing was delivered.  
  
Phillip had offered to come along as well, saying that he had regrettably had much experience in the delivery of news about someone's passing. Ranma had thanked him for the offer but declined, saying that this was something that he would have to do himself, and that Ryoga would want it to be him that broke the news to Akari.  
  
The feeling that Ryoga couldn't be dead still lingered with Ranma, and there was nothing more that he would like to do than walk into the house they had all shared with Ryoga by his side. The few days he had spent in China after being rescues had been spent with him in a daze. Phillip had given him morphine not as much to quell the pain then so Ranma couldn't do anything stupid.  
  
Ranma blamed himself for Ryoga's passing. Everyone else told him he was being foolish but Ranma knew better. If he had just not allowed the Chinese infantrymen to take Ryoga from his arms, then Ryoga would still be alive. The thought that if Ranma had instead handed Ryoga over to one of the POW's in front of him and he instead gone around the side of the barn with the doomed POW's, then he could have easily escaped.  
  
As Ranma walked the streets of Tokyo he became more and more saddened. His hand mindlessly rubbed the scars that adorned his chest. His wounds had been healed, and he was now back to one hundred percent health. The only glaring issue was that he had absolutely no desire to run around and do great leaps and bounds. He walked the streets like any other man, his hands inside the packets of the military tunic and pants he had neglected to change out of. He received odd stares from most of the people walking the streets, but Ranma ignored them.  
  
As he entered the familiar streets of Nerima, Ranma began to think of ways he would try and break the news to Akari.  
  
There was no way that he could try and be blunt, just walk in and say, 'Hey Akari, Ryoga wont be coming back because the Chinese infantry decided that he was taking up too much of their food and medical supplies.'  
  
Breaking it to her softly would not work either. Akari, despite the appearances of a simple cute girl, was also extremely brilliant. She would pick up on what Ranma was saying after the first words out of his mouth. Ranma wanted desperately for something that could help him deliver the news.  
  
Akane would be a great help, she and Akari were now best friends. Ranma immediately quelled the thoughts of Akane from his mind. He had no right to think of such a thing when he was on his way to deliver the news of someone's passing, let alone his best friend.  
  
Ranma stopped and looked around, he was a block away from the Tendo Dojo. He sighed and continued on his way, his head hung down low.  
  
He had gone another five feet when he heard someone calling his name.  
  
Ranma raised his head and peered over his own shoulder. Mousse was standing on the other side of the street. He was dressed in his typical robes and was looking at Ranma with infinite surprise on his face.  
  
Ranma crossed the street and approached Mousse. He smiled artificially.  
  
"Hi Mousse," he greeted.  
  
Mousse's surprise did not vanish. "My god it is you," he whispered. He looked like he had the moment's decision between wanting to hug Ranma and shaking his hand. He gave into emotion and hugged Ranma briefly.  
  
"Did you just get back?" Mousse asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma answered, his voice betraying the sadness he felt.  
  
"Well, we've all been listening to news of the war every day; I heard that the 82nd is out of China now, congratulations."  
  
Ranma was framing a reply when Mousse spoke again.  
  
"Where's Ryoga? Did he get lost again?" Mousse asked, the last part meant as a joke. When he saw the look of agony cross Ranma's face, he knew he had said the wrong thing.  
  
"Ranma, what's wrong?"  
  
Ranma bit down on his tongue, hard. But he couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks. He tried to take a breath but a sob stopped his from continuing.  
  
"R-Ryoga isn't going to be coming back Mousse," Ranma said shakily. "He was killed while we were over there."  
  
"What?" Mousse said in disbelief. "Oh god!" he said and it was a wail.  
  
Ranma stared straight at the ground, his body tense.  
  
Mousse shook his head. "H-how did it happen?"  
  
Ranma took another deep shuddering breath before replying.  
  
"His tank was hit by enemy fire and I went out to get him, once I got him outside the tank, the Chinese soldiers we were fighting surrounded us and took us to where they were holding a bunch of American POW's. We were kept there for a week before news of an American Task Force heading in the direction of the camp. After that they took half of the POW's, including Ryoga, and stood them up against the wall. Four soldiers then opened fire on them."  
  
Mousse's face was a mixture of emotions. He was deeply saddened by the news of Ryoga's passing, and he was also disgusted over how his fellow countrymen were acting. Mousse was Chinese, but he had never really connected with the sort of people that were now fighting the war. Nevertheless, he still didn't like the fact that people might compare him to those that would commit such horrible deeds.  
  
Ranma looked up at Mousse with sad eyes.  
  
"Look Mousse, I'm going to have to break the news to Akari soon, so I'd better get going."  
  
"Alright," Mousse said, blankly. "Do you want me to tell Shampoo and Cologne?"  
  
"Sure, that would be nice of you," Ranma said and turned around.  
  
He was outside the front gates of the Tendo home before he could really think of a way to tell Akari what happened to Ryoga. Ranma realized that no matter what sort of speech he may be able to come up with, the outcome would still be the same, Akari would cry and he would feel horrible.  
  
He walked up the front walk and stepped up to the door. He idly wondered if Akari and Akane would in fact be here and not inside their home.  
  
Pushing that thought aside Ranma knocked on the door twice. He attempted to steel himself but failed.  
  
"Just a moment!" a voice from inside called out.  
  
The door slid open and Ranma found himself face to face with Akari.  
  
Any sort of speech he had planned out in his mind quickly vanished when he saw her face.  
  
"Ranma?" Akari asked in disbelief. She quickly let out a cry of joy and threw her arms around him.  
  
Once Akari hugged him, Ranma noticed that there was something different about her. She seemed to be rounder, and a little heavier.  
  
As Akari drew back from the hug she saw Ranma's eyes move down to her stomach. She quickly put her hands over her already slightly bulging stomach. She blushed a little.  
  
"You're pregnant?" Ranma asked, disbelief in his voice.  
  
Akari smiled a little. "Yeah, you can thank that pig-headed Ryoga for this. Our first time and he goes and gets me pregnant."  
  
Akari saw the sad look on Ranma's face.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, and then decided to try some humor. "Don't worry, Akane's not pregnant too."  
  
The attempt at humor did nothing to change the sad expression on Ranma's face.  
  
Akari decided to ask Ryoga what was wrong with him when she noticed her fiancées absence.  
  
"Um, Ranma, where's Ryoga?"  
  
Ranma looked very much like he was going to cry. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Akari.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered into her ear as he began crying.  
  
Fear started to creep into Akari's heart. Does he mean.  
  
Before she could finish her thought, the sound of someone gasping behind her occurred.  
  
Akari twisted in Ranma's embrace and saw Kasumi standing in the doorway. She was wearing a look of utter shock on her face.  
  
"Ranma?" Kasumi said in disbelief.  
  
Ranma, his voice still emotional, said, "I've got to talk with Akari for a bit Kasumi."  
  
Kasumi obviously could hear the sad tone of Ranma's voice and walked back into the house, closing the front door behind her.  
  
Ranma attempted to get his voice back under control; he cleared his throat as he held Akari in his embrace.  
  
"Akari, I've got to tell you something, and I want you to know how sorry I am," Ranma said, waiting a second before continuing. "Ryoga isn't hear, he was murdered in China."  
  
Akari felt a wave of nausea sweep over her. A part of her mind told her that it couldn't be true, while another part told her that it was.  
  
Ranma's arms tightened around her. "We were captured by the Chinese and Ryoga was already hurt, so we couldn't escape. They took us to some base out near Shanghai and they kept us there for a week with some American soldiers that had also been captured. After a week the 82nd came to rescue us and the Chinese took half of the captured soldiers behind the barn house we were being kept in and killed them. They took Ryoga from me, they were going to shoot us both if I refused, and carried him around back with the other soldiers and he was with them when the Chinese opened fire."  
  
Akari listened intently to Ranma's story before breaking down and crying. Her whole body shook in Ranma's embrace as sobs emanated from her. She took note that Ranma was shaking as well.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ranma kept saying as he cried.  
  
===============  
  
Akari was very dazed when Ranma brought her into the house. She couldn't stop crying as Ranma picked her up into his arms and carried her into Akane's old room. Akane heard Akari's sobs and walked out of the kitchen as Ranma walked by. She was about to ask Ranma what happened when she noticed that neither Ryoga nor Ishii were with him. She took off up the stairs and found the door to her old room open.  
  
Inside the room Ranma had set Akari down on the bed that was inside and had hit a shiatsu sleep spot on her neck. He wiped the tears from his face when he saw Akane in the room.  
  
She approached cautiously, her mind telling her that something terrible must have happened if Ranma was reduced to crying.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane asked cautiously. "What's wrong?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "Ryoga's gone Akane; he was killed while we were in China."  
  
Akane studied Ranma's face and saw that he was dead serious.  
  
"Oh god!" Akane wailed.  
  
Ranma quickly got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Akane. As her tears wet his tunic, Ranma had the moments guilty thought that he was glad that Akane would not be reduced to the state Akari was in.  
  
The sudden realization that he had not told Akari that she would not ever see Ryoga again occurred to him. Ryoga's body had been buried by the POW farmhouse.  
  
It couldn't get much worse than it was, Ranma thought.  
  
===============  
  
Sixteen of the seventeen POW's that had survived in the prison camp were sent west, to a prison camp just outside of Chengdu.  
  
The head of the PLA, Wei Liang, ordered that the POW's be kept there for the immediate future, and that the presence of the POW's not to be announced to anyone.  
  
The one remaining POW in the camp outside of Shanghai was greatly regaining his health. The field doctors and medical personnel were amazed when the POW had regained consciousness only after three hours of having his wounds stitched up. But once the POW's health became that less of a problem, another problem arose.  
  
Two days after the POW arrived in the camp, he managed to render three soldiers unconscious and make it fifty feet out of the camp before he collapsed. It was quickly decided upon by the doctors and other military commanders that the POW should be kept on morphine and only allowed to be conscious when there was at least fifteen guards around the area.  
  
Once it was reported that the POW was now healthy enough to travel to the prison camp outside of Chengdu, Wei Liang asked that the POW remain in the base until he could see him personally.  
  
Wei Liang arrived the next day.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga felt very groggy. His body was sore, so much that he was sure that he must have ran an eighty mile marathon. His head was heavy and it took all his concentration just to open his eyes. His vision was blurred but he could tell that he was facing someone. Whoever he was facing was calling out something in English.  
  
"Wake up; I need to talk to you," the person said in heavily accented English. He had a Chinese accent.  
  
"I don't understand," Ryoga replied in Japanese. He noted that his reply made the person sharply say something to someone Ryoga couldn't see in Chinese.  
  
The person turned back to Ryoga and spoke again softly, this time in Japanese.  
  
"You are Japanese?" the person asked.  
  
"Yes," Ryoga replied. He wondered why this person seemed so interested in him.  
  
"Are you a Japanese citizen?"  
  
"I'm from Tokyo," Ryoga replied.  
  
The person didn't speak for a long moment.  
  
"How did you come to be involved with the American tank battalion that was attacking Chinese forces inside China?"  
  
Ryoga explained groggily that he knew the American battalion commander and he and two others had gone with the division disguised as officers in the American army so they could retrieve the body of some man that the Politburo were holding.  
  
The person quickly barked off some more orders in Chinese and smiled at Ryoga.  
  
"Thank you young man, you have been most helpful."  
  
===============  
  
Wei Liang quickly put a phone call through to the Premier and explained to him everything that he had just learned from the Japanese civilian.  
  
Now that they knew exactly why the man wearing the American officer's uniform was not an officer, let alone not even American, they could use the information to seriously hit their enemy.  
  
China could now go public with the news that America had enlisted the help of Japanese civilians to try and attack China. The use of civilians from one's country was incredibly incriminating for a country to do during a war, and the use of another country's civilians would be far more damaging to a country's cause than if they had lost a war.  
  
America would then have to answer to Japan, and also have to come up with some kind of explanation to the United Nations committee as to why they were employing the use of a foreign nation's civilians to help them fight a war.  
  
This bit of news could greatly turn the tide of the war towards China's favor.  
  
===============  
  
As Wei Liang arrived at Beijing International Airport, he realized that he would have to wait until the next morning's meeting with the other members of the Politburo before they could decide on how they were going to go about dealing with the situation with the Japanese civilian now in their hands.  
  
Before he got into his staff car he noticed that the night sky was clear.  
  
===============  
  
Operation Monte Cristo was started at 2200 hours 7 December just eighty miles off the coast of China. Twelve American B-2 Spirit bombers departed from the USS Nimitz and headed towards Beijing.  
  
The International Special Forces team departed Russian airspace and entered Chinese air space aboard fifteen Sikorsky helicopters.  
  
Major Ward quickly checked his altimeter and noticed that he was much lower than Lieutenant Colonel Matthews was. He did not rise up though, for the commanders of Monte Cristo had already explained that the lower the pilots could take the B-2 Spirit the better.  
  
Ward quickly looked behind his plane and saw the vastly disappearing USS Nimitz.  
  
"All right boys," Ward said into the radio. "Let's finish this war."  
  
No other pilots replied because none of them could think of anything to say.  
  
===============  
  
The Chinese Politburo had been discussing for almost an entire month the issue of their nuclear weapons. Because of this, the twenty-one nuclear warheads that were located just north of Xi'an had been receiving a lot more attention than they would have previously had.  
  
As the four Sikorsky helicopters carrying the four Special Forces teams began their descent over the area that held China's nuclear warheads, the barracks that housed over two hundred soldiers located ten miles away from the silo's was active and heard the drone of the helicopter's engines and rotors.  
  
But the men that planned this aspect of Monte Cristo had taken into account the idea that there might very well be a barracks nearby with soldiers inside and had added a part to the mission to deal with it.  
  
The small add-on for Monte Cristo called for two Apache helicopters to be dispatched along with the Sikorsky's. Their job was to eliminate any type of ground forces that the Chinese happened to have near and in their missile silos.  
  
This said, when the Chinese soldiers and other men located in the barracks were awoken by the drone of the helicopters, they were up like a shot. They had been running drills for the past few weeks and they had the whole operation burned into their memories.  
  
The problem that the Chinese soldiers encountered was their defense plans did not call for the attacking force to know where they were and to have something that would deal with them.  
  
The problem that the American Apache pilots faced was the long distance they were forced to travel. Plus the fact that they had no chance of landing anywhere in China without either getting captured by the Chinese soldiers or getting lost in the Chinese wilderness.  
  
The Apache pilots solved their problem by traveling the long distance with far less weight than the manuals called for. The only weapons they carried were cannon rounds and 2.75-inch rockets. Traveling with only that much weight allowed them the proper amount of fuel to fly from a small military base located on the southern Russian border all the way into China and back again.  
  
So when the soldiers in the small barracks set about to prepare to go stop whatever forces were trying to attack their country's nuclear warheads, they received the last surprise they would ever have.  
  
As the soldiers spilled out of the barracks they were slightly surprised to hear the drone of enemy aircraft overhead. As the men inside the base began to move spotlights, searching for the aircraft, their came the sound of rockets being fired. A lot of rockets, and fired from high up in the air.  
  
The 2.75-inch rockets that the Apaches had been equipped with quickly killed all the soldiers on the ground, and reduced the barracks to rubble.  
  
Their mission finished, the Apaches headed back north for Russia.  
  
===============  
  
The Sikorsky helicopters were five miles ahead when they heard the report from the Apache commander that the last defense the Chinese had was gone.  
  
The pilots did not let this allow how they were going to come into the area. They approached low-level and did one fly-over of the area before they slowly began to descend to the ground. The area was covered with thick vegetation which did not allow the Sikorsky helicopters to get more than twenty feet to the ground. From there the Special Forces teams would use zip lines to reach the ground.  
  
Major Jack Grillo was onboard the Green Beret Sikorsky. He was the man leading the Green Berets, and that meant he would be the first man out the door. Quickly attaching his hook to the line at the top, Major Grillo jumped backwards out of the Sikorsky, applying pressure to the line when he was at least ten feet off the ground. Letting himself land to the ground, the Major quickly made room for the other Green Berets that were already heading down the line.  
  
Once the team was on the ground, Major Grillo quickly gave the order that would make the men split into their already assigned teams and head off for their already assigned silos.  
  
===============  
  
The base command post was the best-protected structure on the entire post. It had been buried ten meters underground, and the ten meters was solid reinforced concrete, so as to survive a nuclear bomb's exploding within a hundred meters. Inside the command post was a staff of seventeen men, commanded by Lieutenant General Xian Qing-Nun. He had supervised the silos only three hours before and had carried out the orders from Beijing that had called for all thirteen CSC-5 intercontinental ballistic missiles to be fueled. The only explanation the base commander had been given was that the orders should be carried out right away. But it didn't take a genius to figure out that the fueling of his country's most important weapon had something to do with the was underway against America and Taiwan.  
  
The base commander was, like all People's Liberation Army soldiers, a highly disciplined man, and always mindful of the fact that he had his country's most valuable weapons in his personal control. Someone had triggered the alarm, and his staff had switched on the surveillance cameras, the cameras were old and needed lights on too, so the lights were switched on as well.  
  
A week ago if someone had come up to Xian and told him that he would have to defend his county's nuclear weapons against some unknown force, he would have scoffed at them. But now, with the alarm sounding and men rushing about, he realized that they were under attack.  
  
===============  
  
Major Grillo noticed the lights and made a quick order into his radio, which was built into his helmet, and watched as the lights were shot out. The shot itself wouldn't be difficult; the lights were only fifteen feet off the ground.  
  
===============  
  
General Xian quickly snatched the telephone from his NCO's hand.  
  
"Get me Beijing!" he shouted at whatever operator was controlling the switchboards.  
  
===============  
  
The Russian Spetznaz team encountered no troubles as they raced into Silo #1. The demolitions expert on the team led the way and ran to the pipes that led to the top of the concrete box that marked the top of the silo. To each he stuck a block of plastic explosives, and into each block he stuck a blasting cap. Two other men knelt close by with their weapons ready for a response force that had yet to be seen.  
  
"Run!" the demolitions expert yelled at the other men, running back to where the others stood. There he skidded to the ground and twisted the knob on his detonator. There was a resounding explosion as the pipes were blown up.  
  
The teams had brought gas masks with them, though they didn't need them, as there were no vapors spewing from the broken pipes.  
  
The Russian team now looked for the metal door that would serve as the maintenance entrance to the silo.  
  
===============  
  
"What did you say?" Wei Liang, the head of the PLA asked his phone.  
  
"This is General Qing-Nun, I am the commander of our nuclear weapons base and we are under attack. Ground forces and helicopters are above us and are attempting to destroy our missiles. We cannot fight them off because our reaction force does not respond when we call; they have been killed by the attackers.  
  
Wei Liang did not reply right away. He had just been getting ready for bed, feeling cheerful and deliberating over what he would do now that he was supposed to present the news that they had caught the Americans at something they shouldn't be doing, and he was not prepared to deal with something like this.  
  
"Are your missiles fueled?" Liang asked.  
  
"Yes!" the base commander replied.  
  
Wei Liang paused for a moment.  
  
"Then launch your missiles," he said, his voice betraying the panic he felt inside.  
  
There was a long pause on the other end.  
  
"Launch your fucking missiles!"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
The line went dead.  
  
===============  
  
Major Grillo was about to ask what the damn hold-up was when he heard a huge explosion. The men must have finally gotten through the maintenance door, Grillo thought.  
  
Just as he turned to congratulate his men, he saw them come running for their lives straight at him.  
  
"What the hell!?" Grillo said as his men ran right past him.  
  
"Run you fool!" the demolitions expert called back as they ran out of the silo, putting their masks to their faces.  
  
Major Grillo caught up with them once they were one hundred yards away from the silo.  
  
The demolitions expert quickly explained.  
  
"The damn tanks are fueled Major, the explosion must have ruptured the upper tank, the fucking thing is going to blow!"  
  
The color drained from Major Grillo's face. He spoke quickly into his radio.  
  
"Everybody get the fuck away from those silos! There fueled and about to blow!"  
  
===============  
  
The proof of that came from Silo #4, off to the right of the Green Beret's location. The entire concrete structure that served as the roof to the silo was sent hurtling into the air as the mass of fire and smoke came roaring up from the destroyed missile. Silo #7, Grillo's, did the same.  
  
===============  
  
Over in the control bunker, the men inside were rushing about, turning keys and throwing switches.  
  
The commanding general gave the order and then, finally turned his command key.  
  
===============  
  
The British SAS team was lucky, they had caught the tail end of Major Grillo's call and ran from the four silos they were assigned to, just before they exploded, sending solid white-yellow flame high into the air.  
  
The Canadian Strike team would not be so fortunate.  
  
From exhaust vents that were set front and behind silos #5 and #8, the two assigned to the Special Forces team, came two vertical fountains of white-yellow flame, and less than one second after that, the thick blunt shape of a missile's nosecone appeared.  
  
The Strike team was able to detonate their explosives in silo #8 before the missile could clear the silo and succeeded in catching the end of the missile and causing it's fuel lines to rupture and explode, incinerating all the Strike team members that had been unfortunate enough to have been caught too close to the silo.  
  
But the missile from silo #5 cleared the silo, and was now rising into the sky.  
  
===============  
  
The Apache helicopters were several miles away when they heard the radio messages between the soldiers on the ground. One missile was getting away, and it was beginning to lean towards east, obviously heading towards the United States.  
  
"Oh shit," one of the Apache pilots said and suddenly banked his chopper to the right and turned it around and headed straight for the missile silos. He pulled collective to jerk his helicopter at the rising missile.  
  
The gunner in the back called out that he had the missile in his sights. He selected his 30-mm cannon and suppressed the trigger. The gunner's rounds fell short, but he quickly adjusted his lead and walked them into the missile's upper half.  
  
There was an incredible explosion, which threw the Apache helicopter into a tail spin, then rolling it over on its back as the heat wave washed over the area. The pilot attempted to get the plane back under his command but all he could do was struggle valiantly with the controls of his helicopter as it crashed into the trees.  
  
Once the missile from silo #5 had been destroyed, that meant that all the missiles were gone.  
  
The first stage of Monte Cristo had been completed.  
  
===============  
  
The second, and final, stage of Monte Cristo was still underway.  
  
As the B-2 Spirit bombers raced over Tianjin, just two hundred miles south of Beijing, they encountered the first bit of the Chinese air defenses.  
  
Dedicated SAM (Surface to Air Missiles) sites were located in the base just north of Tianjin, making for a quite effective air defense for the capitol of China.  
  
The only problem that faced the SAM site commanders was that none of them had ever fired on actual moving targets, capable of firing back. This was solved by the automatic locking capability of the surface to air missiles.  
  
Major Ward, inside the bomber leading the strike force, noticed on his radar screen the blips indicating that the bombers were being targeted. He didn't bother issuing any countermeasures over his radio, all the men with him were as good a pilot as he was and were already deploying countermeasures.  
  
Unlike with the sort of countermeasures that a submarine or carrier may deploy, aircraft depend on the heat-locking sensors of most missiles that are used in SAM sites. What will happen is the aircraft will eject a small box, and when the aircraft is at least fifty yards away from the small box, it will explode, causing the missile to get two distinct signals, one closer than the other. If luck is with the pilot, the missile will lock onto the explosion that had been caused by the countermeasures the pilot fired. Once this occurs the missile will pass right through the smoke and fire caused by the countermeasure and will lose control, sending it flying without anything controlling it, and eventually crashing to the ground, or in the case of the missiles fired by the SAM sites, into the nearby city of Tingshu.  
  
The SAM site commanders quickly radioed to military bases in Beijing about the planes heading in their direction.  
  
The military bases in Beijing quickly sent out the alert to all the nearest air force bases. Pilots and maintenance crews scrambled onto the runways and began to service their planes.  
  
There was a sense of euphoria amongst the men as they moved their planes down the runway. The maintenance crews watched with a sense of helplessness as the planes disappeared from view.  
  
===============  
  
There had been many additions to the Monte Cristo plans. One of those additions to the plan was quite a stroke of brilliance. The add-on to the plan was to include four F-16C's with the bombers as they flew into Beijing, just in case the Chinese were able to send some fighter planes to intercept the American bombers.  
  
This said, the four F-16C fighters ready and waiting as the Chinese J- 7D fighter jets came barreling down from the bombers left flank.  
  
The J-7D pilots quickly deduced that they were outnumbered, but they would have faced an even worse possibility were they to turn around and fly back to the base.  
  
The F-16C was a far superior fighter craft than the Chinese J-7D, making it possible for the American pilots to choose two Chinese aircraft targets at once and still are able to fly with at least two hundred pounds extra pressure on the pilots because of the speed they move.  
  
Fighter pilots are often described as being 'hot-doggers' and as having very big egos. These thoughts are more often than not justified, as someone that is capable of flying at more than five hundred miles an hour and being able to observe all the ground troops from over ten thousand feet has the feeling of being better than the other people that are on the ground fighting.  
  
The four F-16C pilots were 'hot-doggers', as in they felt most alive when they were pulling off maneuvers in their planes and showing off to other people.  
  
The Chinese J-7D pilots were in a communist regime, with the sort of rules in their military that would make them suffer large penalties if they were caught doing the sort of things with aircraft that cost almost half a million dollars that the Americans were now doing.  
  
Another force was working against the Chinese pilots. The other day they had been doing practice drills and the maintenance crews had neglected to notice that three of the seven aircraft taking off still had the white painting that indicated the missiles were practice missiles, and would have about as much explosive charge as a rock being thrown at the F-16C's.  
  
The American F-16C's quickly shot down the seven Chinese J-7D planes, and roared off to catch up to the B-2 Spirit bombers that were already entering over Beijing.  
  
===============  
  
Major Ward watched as the downtown streets of Beijing raced by underneath his plane. It would take another three minutes until he reached his targets house.  
  
===============  
  
Wei Liang quickly picked up his phone and dialed the number for Premier Renyang's house. It rang twice before someone picked up the other end.  
  
*Hello?*  
  
"Comrade Premier, I have just received word that someone is attacking our nuclear weapons facility in the west," Liang spoke quickly.  
  
*What?* Renyang asked, now sounding to be completely awake.  
  
"Call an emergency meeting of the Politburo and I will explain everything else once I get there," he said and hung up.  
  
Liang quickly threw off his robe and hastily dressed in some clothes. He was about to exit his home but he noticed that his television was on. As he approached to shut the infernal device off, he noticed that the channels were switching on its own.  
  
"What on earth?" Liang asked the room before he heard the sound of jets screaming overhead.  
  
Less than 0.34 seconds later, a bomb dropped from a B-2 Spirit bomber hit the front window of his flat, detonating and killing Wei Liang before he could finish his thought that the jets seemed to be flying far to low over the city.  
  
===============  
  
The Chinese Secretary of Defense, Mai Zhisheng, had been awoken by the call from the Premier. He had fallen asleep wearing his clothes while listening to some classical music, a fact that would save his life.  
  
Zhisheng decided to drive to the meeting by himself and did not bother calling for a driver. He slipped his arms into his jacket and opened his front door. As he stepped down from his porch he heard the scream of engines in the distance and explosions as bombs were dropped on houses.  
  
Zhisheng had a moments thought before he began sprinting to his car.  
  
The Americans! There attacking!, his mind shouted.  
  
He was just about to open his car door when the first bomb hit his house.  
  
===============  
  
Major Ward did not smile as he hit the button that dropped the bomb, which would end the life of the man inside. He tried to console himself by saying that this man was partly responsible in ending the lives of thousands because of him and his fellow minister's greedy thoughts.  
  
Major Matthews dropped his bomb right after Major Ward, ensuring that if anyone had been inside the house they would have been killed instantly.  
  
Without a word between the other pilots, all of the B-2 Spirit bombers and F-16C fighters banked to the right and began their trip back to the Nimitz.  
  
===============  
  
Zhisheng felt like he was falling. A second before he had inserted his key into the door of his car, there had been a brilliant flash, and then incredible heat. He had been lifted off the ground and thrown, hitting the pavement ten feet away.  
  
His back was screaming with pain, a fact made more evident as he tried to move.  
  
The stars in his eyes cleared and he could now look up at the night sky. Smoke was wafting in and he was forced to blink, a move that made his entire body shudder with pain.  
  
As the squeal of sirens filled the night, Zhisheng had one clear thought.  
  
The Americans were going to pay dearly for this.  
  
===============  
  
Mai Zhisheng was not the only member of the Politburo to survive the bombing raid by the B-2 Spirits.  
  
The former Transportation Minister, Ma Jingshu, had not been at his home when the American planes dropped their bombs on it. He had been at a bar, wallowing in spite of the Politburo.  
  
He had lost all his former power, he had been forced from the building and he had been striped of his title, which had been replaced by a man so awed by the men he sat with that he would do absolutely whatever they wanted him to.  
  
Glancing at the bar clock, Jingshu decided that he had had enough to drink. He got up, leaving sufficient money for his bill and stumbled out of the bar. After walking around the building and discovering himself inside an alley, Jingshu decided that he was far drunker than he had previously thought.  
  
Remembering that his home was less than four blocks away, Jingshu stumbled in the direction towards his home.  
  
After falling to the ground twice, Jingshu stopped his drunken stumbling and forced himself to walk straight. This plan was working until he heard the noise made by multiple aircraft flying over a city. Scared by the noise, Jingshu tripped and hit the ground.  
  
He glanced up in time to see the bombers fly by overhead. They dropped bombs on the location where his house was, and he could see more aircraft in the distance dropping bombs on locations that he remembered were the homes of his former coworkers.  
  
Jingshu was instantly sobered and he got to his feet, running towards his now flaming house. Members of the Politburo were granted the right to a home with the protection that would make the Secret Service uncomfortable. Another right was for the members to be able to have a home that was completely secluded from other houses.  
  
Jingshu had not taken the massive protection when it was offered to him, but he did opt for having his home secluded from others. This was the only reason no one had been killed when the Americans dropped their bombs on his home.  
  
With the realization that the other members of the Politburo would have been killed, Jingshu immediately fished out his cell phone and began dialing numbers.  
  
The country was in very unstable hands, but if he were able to play it right, he could become the ruler of the country, and maybe then China would become a nation that demanded respect.  
  
===============  
  
Upon returning to the Nimitz, the pilots and other crewman that participated in the attack on the Chinese leaders learned of the success of the ground forces in central China. They also learned of the losses suffered by the Special Forces teams and the Apache helicopters.  
  
Despite the completion of a mission that would most likely end the war, the mood of the pilots was somber and thoughtful.  
  
A debriefing followed shortly after the arrival of the B-2 Spirit and F-16C pilots, wherein they received the following report:  
  
Monte Cristo Operation  
  
To: All participants in the operation involving the attack on the leaders of China.  
  
Congratulations, it has been decided that, upon completion of the second phase of Monte Cristo, all pilots and crewman will be debriefed and given the following information:  
  
The President has decided that no official announcement of American involvement on the attacks on China will be made. After joint meetings with the other world leaders, it has been decided that Taiwan will be named the nation that attacked China's leaders, and that it was a joint-international operation undertaken by American, Canadian, Russian, British, and Taiwanese Special Forces groups that destroyed China's nuclear capabilities.  
  
More information will be given upon arrival back in the United States.  
  
===============  
  
The funeral for Ryoga Hibiki was to be on the date of December 15.  
  
Normally, the passing of a citizen is not brought before the notice of any world leaders, but, with involvement from an American Colonel and even an unofficial decoration of the fallen man, was enough for notice to be brought forth to the eyes of the Japanese Prime Minister.  
  
As the Prime Minister's interest in Ryoga Hibiki grew, the more interest the rest of the world took.  
  
The American President learned of Ryoga's actions in China and most of his life story through the Director of Central Intelligence, who knew the father of the American Colonel that was helping organize the funeral. The President also found out about the young man's fiancée, and that she was now pregnant, taking time from his usual hectic day, the President wrote a personal letter to the fiancée of Ryoga Hibiki, and asked that it be hand delivered to her.  
  
Lieutenant Colonel Phillip S. Parker was given permission to unofficially decorate, posthumously, Ryoga Hibiki with the Combat Infantry Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, and to be the first man to be decorated with the Chinese Service Medal, awarded to all men who served in the Pacific War.  
  
The medals and decorations were delivered within the day of Parker's request for them.  
  
The funeral for Ryoga Hibiki would be a day that would undoubtedly be remembered by many.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma shivered as the cold wind cut through his black suit. He turned his back to the wind and walked back into the Tendo Dojo. It had been decided that everyone would meet in the Dojo before making the long walk to the burial plot that had been designated for the final resting place for Ryoga Hibiki.  
  
Akari had not yet left Akane's room ever since the news of Ryoga's passing was delivered. Only Akane had been allowed in to speak with her.  
  
Finally, under Dr. Tofu's orders, she began to eat the food that they brought her. She did not eat the food for herself, but for the small child that she carried within her.  
  
No one knew if Akari would actually come out of the room for Ryoga's funeral, which would start within the hour, but nobody said anything.  
  
Ryoga's parents had been contacted about the funeral, but no word of acceptance of the news did they receive.  
  
As he entered the Dojo, Ranma was stopped by Akane and dragged to a secluded corner of the Dojo.  
  
"What is it Akane?" Ranma asked, his demeanor that of a small child.  
  
"The funeral's starting in forty minutes and Akari still hasn't come out of her room, and I don't know what were going to do if she doesn't come out."  
  
Ranma sighed. "All right Akane, I'll go see what I can do."  
  
As he turned around, Akane threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.  
  
"Oh god, Ranma, I miss him so much," Akane whimpered into his chest.  
  
Ranma wrapped one arm around Akane. "I know Akane, we all do."  
  
Letting go of her, Ranma glanced briefly down at her. Akane was wearing a black dress, matching most of the other girls inside the Dojo.  
  
As he walked out of the Dojo, Ranma idly wondered where Phillip and Ishii were. The large black colonel had said he had to go get a few things ready at the funeral site, but he had already been gone for almost two hours.  
  
They had foregone the usual Shinto ceremony for Ryoga, Phillip had asked if that would be okay, stating that since Ryoga died as a soldier, it would be fitting for him to receive a soldier's funeral. In a rare moment, Akari had actually responded to someone other than Akane, and accepted Phillip's offer.  
  
Ranma climbed the stairs leading to the upper floor of the Tendo home and walked over to Akane's old room. Knocking softly on the door, Ranma opened it and stepped inside.  
  
Akari was not on the temporary bed that had been set up. She was standing in front of a mirror, dressed in a black dress, a black veil covering her face.  
  
"Akari," Ranma said, almost a whisper. When she didn't even move, Ranma approached her. He reached out his hand. "Come on Akari, the funeral's starting soon."  
  
Akari shook her head and continued to stare at the mirror.  
  
"No Ranma, I can't go," she responded, her voice was so quiet that Ranma had to strain his ears to hear her.  
  
"You have to go Akari," Ranma said, lowering his extended hand.  
  
"I can't," Akari repeated. Her eyes were puffy, and it looked as if she wanted to cry, but couldn't.  
  
Ranma stepped closer; he moved his hand to Akari's shoulder.  
  
"I know you don't want to go Akari, but you can't just pretend that Ryoga isn't gone. He wouldn't want you to do that," Ranma said.  
  
Akari turned from the mirror to face Ranma.  
  
"I don't know if I can do this Ranma, not without him," Akari said, a sob escaping her throat. "I need him."  
  
Ranma rubbed Akari's shoulder slightly.  
  
"I know it will be hard to go on without him," Ranma said and then a small smile crossed his face. "Hell, even I don't like to think about my life without him. He was my best friend, my rival, and I liked to think of him like the brother I always wanted."  
  
Akari's eyes shone with moisture.  
  
Ranma continued. "You wont have to do this by yourself you know, Akane and I will always be here for you, and you can bet that everyone else down in the Dojo will feel exactly the way we do."  
  
"But how can I do it Ranma?" Akari asked, her voice pleading.  
  
Ranma smiled a very warm smile and laid his hand down on her stomach.  
  
"Do it for him," Ranma whispered.  
  
Akari sobbed and wrapped her arms around Ranma, weeping as she hugged him close to her. Ranma's arms encircled her, hugging her tightly against him.  
  
After a long moment, Ranma spoke.  
  
"Will you come down now?" he asked.  
  
Akari didn't respond right away. For a moment, when she was hugging Ranma, her mind had tortured her with the brief thought that it was Ryoga's powerful arms that were around her, and it was his powerful chest that she was pressed up against, not Ranma's.  
  
"Okay," Akari responded, her voice small.  
  
Ranma gripped her hand and led her out of the room.  
  
===============  
  
The funeral procession was quick, limos had been acquired and a hearse led the procession, carrying the empty casket inside.  
  
It was a cold morning, and everyone shivered as they got out of the cars.  
  
As everyone climbed the hill that led to the funeral grounds, they quickly realized that this was definitely going to not be a traditional funeral.  
  
A long column of soldiers, dressed in their pinks and greens, stood off to the right of the burial plot, holding rifles in standard present arms positions.  
  
A trumpeter was there, playing army songs.  
  
Phillip and Ishii were standing by the grave stone. On it was written:  
  
Ryoga Hibiki  
  
1979-1996  
  
A Friend To All  
  
Ranma, Mousse, Genma, Soun, Phillip, and Ishii were to be the pallbearers.  
  
The Japanese flag was draped over Ryoga's casket, in true military fashion. They pulled the casket from the hearse and began to walk towards the burial plot. The trumpeter began to play. A podium had been set up, where Ranma would deliver the eulogy for Ryoga. After which, Phillip would read off Ryoga's decorations, whereupon he would march to where Akari stood and pin them to her dress.  
  
The men carrying the casket set it down onto the ground in front of the grave.  
  
Ranma had not written any speech for his eulogy, deciding that it would be better if he were to speak from his heart.  
  
As he walked up to the podium, Phillip patted him on the back.  
  
He set his hands down onto the podium and let his eyes fall onto the people assembled.  
  
Everyone he had ever really known had come to Ryoga's funeral. Soun, Genma, Nodoka, Nabiki, Kasumi, Cologne, Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyo, Konatsu, Akane, and Akari. Ranma let his gaze rest upon Akari.  
  
He cleared his throat and began.  
  
"Everyone here today knew Ryoga, and everyone here liked him in some way, maybe even loved him. He was just the sort of man that would make you want to get to know him better."  
  
"Ryoga was an extraordinary man. He was one of the greatest martial artists I've ever met, but he never used that strength to bully others. He was fiercely protective of his friends, and even more protective of those he loved. He would have given his life for anyone here today, and he would never think twice about it."  
  
"It was my privilege to be able to call myself Ryoga's friend, even his best friend. We didn't get along all the time, mostly because we both loved to fight, and we were the closest to each others skill, but that didn't mean we wouldn't lay our lives down for each other."  
  
"Ryoga touched everybody's lives, almost always for the better. I hope that everyone here will remember him in that respect. He was a fighter, but also a man that let his emotions control him, not his strength or his power."  
  
Ranma didn't remove his eyes from Akari as he walked down from the podium and walk over to her.  
  
Bending down, Ranma kissed Akari on the cheek and hugged her as Phillip took the podium.  
  
Phillip cleared his throat and set his notes down.  
  
"Ryoga Hibiki, awarded the Combat Infantry Badge for valor during an attack against enemy positions during an assault by the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion. In complete disregard for his own safety, Ryoga took over the position of gunner in his tank when the soldier operating it was killed. Even though Ryoga had never operated the weapon before, he destroyed three tanks and stopped enemy troops from advancing on the 82nd."  
  
"Ryoga Hibiki, awarded the Prisoner of War Medal for incarceration in a small prison camp within enemy territories. Ryoga did not offer any information to the enemy, despite harsh consequences. Ryoga, inevitably was killed during his incarceration."  
  
"Ryoga Hibiki, awarded the Chinese Service Medal for service with the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion in China. Ryoga had not been a member of the American armed forces, but he did not let that stop him from taking every opportunity to help the American unit that he was riding along with. It is with great honor that I decorate him with these medals."  
  
Phillip stepped down from the podium and walked over to Akari. He stopped in front of her, and removed each decoration from its velvet box and pinned them to Akari's dress, directly above her breast.  
  
He saluted her and did an about-face and marched back to his place beside the casket.  
  
The casket began to slowly descend into the grave as the trumpeter began to play. Everyone's attention was brought to the soldiers standing off to the right of the grave when the head lieutenant began to bark out orders.  
  
The soldier's raised their rifles to their shoulders, turned to the right, raised them to face the sky, and began to fire off a volley of shots.  
  
It had been a soldier's funeral, somehow it felt that this would be the way Ryoga would have wished to be buried. Surrounded by friends and family.  
  
===============  
  
The procession moved back to the Tendo Dojo, where everyone would give their condolences to the family of Ryoga Hibiki. His parents had arrived in time for the funeral, and were now accepting the condolences of everyone that knew Ryoga.  
  
Akari moved away from the crowd and walked out of the Tendo Dojo, she needed to get away from it all. The comforting words and apologies were getting to be far too overwhelming.  
  
She leaned against the wall that surrounded the Tendo home and sighed. Her mind kept trying to memorize everything about Ryoga, so that she would never forget him.  
  
The thing that stood out most in her mind was his voice. Deep, strong, but so very soothing. Her eyes began to tear up and she had to quickly produce a handkerchief before her makeup would run.  
  
"Ms. Unryuu?" someone called softly.  
  
Akari looked up and found herself looking into the face of a white American. He was dressed in an expensive suit and was carrying a briefcase.  
  
"Yes," Akari said.  
  
"I'm very sorry to hear of your fiancées passing, and I want you to know that if there is anything I can do, just ask. But first I have some business matters to attend to."  
  
"Okay," Akari said, confused.  
  
The man smiled at her and handed the briefcase over.  
  
"Ryoga's will named you as the beneficiary for all of his stock in the investment banking company he and a few others own. He also added something in his will before he went to China, its inside that briefcase."  
  
Akari couldn't reply and merely nodded to the man as he left.  
  
The chill finally got to her and she walked into the house. She entered the living room and set the briefcase down on the table.  
  
For the longest time she just stared at the briefcase. Her heart was telling her to open it, but she couldn't help but wonder what she would find inside.  
  
The man had said that Ryoga had put this together before he went to China, which would mean Ryoga had already prepared in the event that he would die.  
  
Her hands were sweating and shaking as she reached towards the clasping. She snapped it back and moved to the other, doing the same. Slowly, she opened the briefcase.  
  
Inside the case was a large stack of documents, underneath was a small journal.  
  
Akari glanced at the documents; they were all about transfer of Ryoga's stock ownership in Saotome, Hibiki, Inafune, and Porter, over to her. But the journal caught her eye. On it was a small note. It read: To my darling Akari.  
  
The journal looked as if it had seen a lot of use in its days.  
  
She opened it up.  
  
"Oh Ryoga!" Akari exclaimed. It was Ryoga's diary.  
  
The journal dated back to June 1994.  
  
Tears threatened to escape her eyes but Akari fought them back. Finding herself under control, Akari began to read the diary.  
  
===============  
  
"Where's Akari?" Ranma asked Akane.  
  
Akane shrugged and looked around the Dojo. "I don't know, I haven't seen her in a couple of hours."  
  
"Okay," Ranma said, turning around and walking out the Dojo.  
  
Part of his mind told him that something had to be wrong, Akari must have done something. His more rational part of his mind brushed that thought away, telling himself that she probably just went into the house for awhile. But the wonder was still there.  
  
He walked around the yard in one full circle, checking to see if she had gone outside. Satisfied that she was not outside, Ranma walked into the house. He got as far as the hallway before he heard Akari's weeping.  
  
Taking off at a full sprint, Ranma ran into the living room, ready for anything. He found Akari leaning her head on her hands weeping on the table, clutching a small journal in her hands.  
  
Approaching cautiously, Ranma knelt down beside Akari.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ranma asked quietly.  
  
Akari lifted her head from her hands and looked at Ranma; her expression was not one of profound sadness, but one of content. She handed Ranma the journal.  
  
"This was Ryoga's," she explained. "Read the last entry."  
  
Ranma flipped to the end of the journal, he found the entry Akari was speaking of.  
  
It read:  
  
To my darling Akari;  
  
If you are reading this, then what I have most feared has happened. I am terribly sorry for putting you through this much grief, and I hope that you can forgive me.  
  
First, I wish to apologize to you for not marrying you the first moment we met, something inside me tells me that it would have made things easier for you if I had done so.  
  
Second, I want to apologize for being so indecisive when it came to my giving up whatever feelings I harbored for Akane for so long, and not doing the wise thing and switching my interests completely over to you.  
  
And lastly, I want you to know that I never wanted you to have to face this world without me. I always wanted to grow old with you, and have children and watch them grow up as well. I apologize for that.  
  
You are everything to me Akari, I will forever watch over you. I will wait for you in the next life, and I will want to know all about what has happened since I've been gone.  
  
Now, before you devote your life to remembering this young fool, I want you to know that I want you to find someone else. This world is far too gloomy without having your wonderful cheeriness. I don't want to be responsible for robbing the world of that. You shouldn't have to face the world alone.  
  
Do not worry about being alone; I'm sure by now you have already had a great amount of help from everyone there in Nerima. I bet that Ranma will be inviting you to stay with him and Akari very soon, it's just his way. Make sure you accept, as it will not only make him feel good, but it will do you some good as well.  
  
I hope you will be okay my love, for I am not sure just what is awaiting me, but rest assured that I will always be watching over you, and I will always love you, that will never change.  
  
I love you with all my heart,  
  
Ryoga.  
  
Ranma collapsed to his knees and hugged Akari to his chest.  
  
"I knew he would do something like this," Ranma said. He began crying and set the journal down on the living room table.  
  
"Oh god Ranma, he said he wants me to find someone else," Akari whispered. "I can't do something like that."  
  
"It's okay," Ranma said, resting Akari's head on his chest. "Ryoga may not have been the smartest guy, but I'm sure he meant what he said. Your only seventeen years old Akari, you still have your entire life ahead of you."  
  
"But I don't want to face it without him," Akari whimpered.  
  
"It'll be okay," Ranma repeated, and hugged Akari to him.  
  
===============  
  
The last day of the Pacific War also marked the beginning of a second Cold War.  
  
Mai Zhisheng, upon the news that all of China's nuclear tipped missiles had been destroyed by an attack from the Allies, created a blockade in the China seas, ordering all communications and trading with America to cease.  
  
American ships pulled out of the Chinese sea, but stayed docked in Taiwan for the greater part of the year.  
  
Ma Jingshu, attempting to regain the power he once had in the Politburo, was arrested under the orders of Mai Zhisheng, the new Premier of China, he was imprisoned under the facts that he was a traitor to the state. He was sentenced to fifty years.  
  
Wei Liang, as well as all the other Politburo members except Zhisheng and Jingshu, perished during the attacks by the American B-2 Spirit bombers. Since he had yet to tell the other members of the Politburo about the Japanese civilian that was numbered among the POW's in possession, Zhisheng was not informed of the Japanese civilian numbered along with the American POW's.  
  
When the prison camp commander contacted Premier Zhisheng about the POW's, he received the orders to keep all POW's in the prison camp and keep them alive until they had no more use for them.  
  
The Japanese civilian was transferred to the prison camp outside of Chengdu. No official report of the move was made.  
  
America agreed with creating a blockade against China. They removed all troops from the shores of China and moved their ships into Taiwan. The American President, when asked of his agreement to the blockade against China, responded that, "We have already lost too many lives fighting them; I will not have any more brave men die fighting a war that has no meaning."  
  
As the Americans pulled out of China, a protest was made by Lieutenant Colonel Phillip S. Parker IV. His protest was outlined by the fact that America could not risk having China build up their nuclear weapons again. He described America's actions as simply letting their enemy recuperate until it was ready to lash out again. His protest was ignored.  
  
This ended the Pacific War, and also marked the moment when the second Cold War began.  
  
===============  
  
Afterward  
  
Isamu Kimura, assisting police, managed to bring down the Japanese Yakuza and arrest over three quarters of its members. He was given the Civilian medal of valor for his actions. One year after the end of the Pacific War, he married his fiancée Mariko Kimura.  
  
Reports and documents on Monte Cristo were sent to the Pentagon where they have yet to be opened. The reports stating that Taiwan was the country that assassinated the Chinese leaders are still circulated within the press.  
  
Ishii Inafune, working with the Japanese and American government, was able to get the remains of his father, Seiji Inafune, from China, which had been holding them until the fine for the action's the late Seiji Inafune had been charged with were paid. Ishii Inafune was successful in reclaiming the remains of his father without any sort of payment to the Chinese. The funeral for Seiji Inafune was on February 23, 1998. The late Inafune was buried in Washington D.C., beside the final resting place of his wife.  
  
Colonel Phillip S. Parker IV (Brigadier General Designate) took over the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Armed Forces on December 23, 1999. He is now presently heading the list for soldiers being considered for Vice Chief of Staff.  
  
Dr. Antoinette Parker MD, graduated from John Hopkins University and is now presently the head resident at John Hopkins hospital. She and her husband reside in Washington D.C. though they make frequent visits to Tokyo, Japan.  
  
Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo were married on the date of February 13, 1997. The wedding was of Western tradition. The Maid of Honor was named Akari Unryuu. The spot of Best Man was left empty, in an act of remembrance towards the groom's best friend, Ryoga Hibiki (deceased). Seven months later Akane Saotome gave birth to Kagome Saotome.  
  
Akari Unryuu finished her high school with honors and great recommendations from all her teachers. She attended Wharton Business School in the United States for half a year, earning her degree in economics. She became the president of Saotome, Hibiki, Unryuu, Inafune, and Porter, in 1999. On the date of June 29, 1997, Akari Unryuu gave birth to Ryoga Unryuu Hibiki. He was named after his father, Ryoga Hibiki Sr.  
  
An engagement between Ryoga Unryuu Hibiki and Kagome Saotome was decided upon, shortly after Kagome Saotome's birth.  
  
John Clark, Washington D.C.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: There you have it. It is now up to you, the readers, to decide if this story will have a sequel, or if I will have to wrap it up. Please write a review or send me an e-mail, I have no preference.  
  
This is the final chapter, and either way, an epilogue will be written. After three or four days of the final chapter's release, I will check the reviews and responses I have received and, depending on what people say, I will release the epilogue that will shift things toward the sequel (Until the End) or I will release the epilogue that finishes off this story and puts to rest the Ranma ½ characters and the characters of my own creation.  
  
It is up to you. 


	37. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
November 19, 2001  
  
Washington D.C.  
  
The Pentagon  
  
Colonel (Brigadier General Designate) Phillip Sheridan Parker IV walked briskly into the Pentagon. He smiled dutifully at the cameras and reporters that seemed to constantly be hovering around the military nerve center. Hoping that he would not be caught up in another conversation with the reporters, Parker quickly ducked into a side room and waited until the reporters found someone else to bother.  
  
Exiting the room quickly, Parker marched briskly down the hallway, heading deeper and deeper into the Pentagon.  
  
The Chief of Staff had yet to come in so Parker had a chance to grab a quick bite to eat from a vending machine. Toni (Antoinette) had decided that Parker was putting on some weight and had begun to install a healthy meal system. Oatmeal and orange juice was hardly what Parker would call a breakfast, and he made the complaint to Toni that he had usually had more to eat when he was out in the battlefield. This of course was the wrong thing to say as Toni had decided to make a salad dish for supper. Parker was seriously entertaining thoughts of 'staying late' today and grabbing some food from a fast-food place on his way home.  
  
As he located one of the many vending machines, Parker searched his pockets for some change. He fed the machine a dollar bill and waited for the food to fall to its freedom. But, before he could retrieve the food from the machine, someone called his name from further down the hallway. Turning, Parker saw a thin man dressed in an expensive black suit come walking briskly down the hallway holding a large manila folder.  
  
"Yes?" Parker asked suspiciously. He wasn't sure if the man was a reporter that had somehow gotten past the security checkpoints or if it was one of the mindless drones from the economy department with the belief that he was going to carry on a conversation about the proper spending habits the Pentagon should be using to help cut the grass or something.  
  
As the man approached, Parker noticed he had a key card attached to the front pocket of his suit. The man was a visitor but he was admitted to the deeper parts of the Pentagon.  
  
"Here," the man said, handing the thick manila folder over to Parker.  
  
Parker took the folder cautiously. He looked at the man.  
  
"This isn't going to be about how I should be sending more troops and weapons to Afghanistan is it?" Parker asked. Ever since the attacks against America two months ago, he had been getting a long supply of recommendations from any and all government employees that seemed to think that they had the perfect idea on how to rid the country of the of the fascist government and the terrorists that dwell inside.  
  
"Actually I'm from the CIA, and the DO asked me to come over and deliver this to you," the man said, smiling.  
  
"Oh, okay, thank him for me when you get back then," Parker said. He forgot about his hunger relief sitting in the bottom of the vending machine and walked the short distance to his office that he shared with the Vice Chief of Staff.  
  
So, father had something he wanted to show me, Parker thought. It had to be important; his father usually tried his best not to do anything that someone might interpret as being special treatment.  
  
He greeted his secretary and received the messages from everyone that had called the previous evening. He nodded his head and walked into his office, closing his door behind him.  
  
Parker dropped the folder on his desk and moved to the coffee machine behind his desk. He quickly checked to make sure that the machine had been turned on this morning and that the coffee sitting inside was fresh and not what was left from yesterday. Grabbing his mug from the small hook that hung suspended from one of the many file cabinets in his office, Parker poured himself some coffee and sat down at his desk, opening the folder.  
  
He sipped from the coffee as he flipped through the usual mindless crap the CIA attaches to every document from the list describing where their officers were throughout the country to the file stating that they needed more coffee filters in their cafeteria.  
  
A small note was attached to the first page of the actual document and Parker read it:  
  
Just got this in last night and I had it couriered over to you as fast as I could.  
  
You're Father  
  
Parker's curiosity was at its peak and he set his coffee mug down and began to read.  
  
It took him a half an hour to read the entire thing, and when he was finished, Parker's face was ashen white.  
  
He numbly reached for his phone and dialed the number that carried him through to the CIA headquarters in Langley. A voice came over the line and asked him his intended office.  
  
"The DO please," Parker said quickly. His mind was frozen with the thoughts of what he had read. If this document were true then.  
  
*Parker speaking.*  
  
"Dad?" Phillip asked.  
  
*Ah, good morning Phillip, have you received the document I sent over?*  
  
"Is what it says true?" Parker asked, his voice betraying the eagerness he felt.  
  
*I received from a source I would deem on the reliability scale a five.*  
  
The CIA reports all of its documents that it received from outside sources on a scale of one to five for reliability. Five was the highest and therefore, the most reliable.  
  
"Then does that mean those seventeen men are still alive?" Parker asked.  
  
*It would certainly seem so. The document was just passed through the Politburo last night, and it says that those men are alive.*  
  
"Then maybe he could be among them," Parker said.  
  
*That may be Phillip, but remember that there is only seventeen men that survived, it could very well be that he died with the others.*  
  
"But he could still be in there," Parker said, his voice sounding a little shrill.  
  
*Listen to me Phillip, we must not get our hopes up at this point, I'm sending the document over to the President later today and we will see what his reaction is. I will send you anything we get on this, okay?*  
  
"Okay, thanks dad," Parker said and hung up. His hands were trembling and he had to force himself to calm down. The document could very well be a fake, or it could be a misinterpretation, and those seventeen men could actually be dead.  
  
But if it was true, and those seventeen men did survive the massacre, then they were in a prison camp. And if they were in the prison camp then.  
  
Ryoga might still be alive!  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: There you go, obviously after reading this you all know that I intend to write a sequel. I want to thank everyone that took the time to express their views on the last chapter, it was very kind.  
  
Now, I must unfortunately respond to something that very sincerely angered me. I read over all the review and e-mails that were sent to me and I want to respond to one. To the sailor that felt the need to question my status in the military, I would like to thank you for pointing out that there were inaccuracies in my story. I know exactly all those things you explained. I did not write this story to be accurate, and I put those ships and those planes into the story for personal reasons. A lot of my friends have served on the Nimitz, and I wanted to put that ship into the story, as I very much enjoy writing about that great Carrier group. As for the F-16C and B-2 Spirit planes, those have a more personal reason. When I was in India, I got the chance to take a ride in an F-16C and I must say that it was one of the most entertaining things of my life, and I couldn't wait for the chance to put the plane into this story. As for the B-2 Spirit bombers, my best friend was flying one of those in Afghanistan a year ago. He died in a crash over there and I felt inspired to add the wonderful plane into my story, if that annoys people, well I'm sorry. I will not let something like a few inaccuracies stop me from putting in something that helps me honor the life of my friend. If you wish to pursue the matter of my status in the military than feel free to contact me and leave your name, rank, and serial number and I will contact you. Though I warn you that that would be the last thing I wish to do and I do not want to form any kind of problem.  
  
Thanks to everyone that wrote a review and offered an opinion, it was really great to read everyone's reviews and thoughts. You are great people to take the time to do something like that.  
  
The first chapter of "Until the End" will be released quite quickly, so watch for it on the site. 


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